Checkmate
by Mahala
Summary: A series of strange events distract the team from their work. Who is behind it and what message is he trying to send? This is a team fic with a little Mac/Jo. Complete.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Mac Taylor pulled up in front of the house with a squeal of tyres. Shutting off the engine, he grabbed his silver-cased forensics kit and jumped out. In several swift steps he was up the path and at the door. Under normal circumstances Mac would not be running up the steps in jeans, trainers and t-shirt. Under normal circumstances he would be straightening his jacket, calmly ducking under crime scene tape, greeting fellow officers, searching for Flack or the lead detective but these weren't normal circumstances. Mac looked around as he rang the doorbell; the anonymous suburban street was completely deserted other than a few parked cars and a child's toy abandoned on a nearby lawn. There were no squad cars, no flashing lights, no police, no crime scene tape. Most of the residents had retired for the night and only one or two windows showed lights behind closed curtains with the exception of the house opposite where the net curtains flicked back and forth several times. Mac smiled to himself; nosy neighbours could sometimes come in useful. Sounds of footsteps coming down the hall pulled his attention away from the street. The door was pulled open and light flooded the area of garden in front of the house.

"Mac, thank you for coming. I know it's your first day off in ..."

Mac held up his hand to cut him off. "It's not a problem Sid. Are you all right? And Jenny?" Mac placed his hand on Sid's arm, his voice full of concern. His friend looked worried. He could see it in his eyes and by the way he dragged his hand through his hair.

Sid nodded. "We're fine Mac. Jenny's in the kitchen." Sid held out his arm and Mac went through to the kitchen though he didn't need to be told where it was. As he entered the warm open plan kitchen, the young woman at the family-sized table got up and held out her arms. Mac put down his case and put his arms around her. He'd known Sid's family for many years and seen Jenny grow up from an active happy-go-lucky toddler into a bright vivacious young woman endowed with the same witty intellect as her father.

"Are you okay?" he asked as he took in her pale face. He felt her tremble slightly.

Jenny nodded. "I'm fine Mac." Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke and she took a deep breath. "I'm just glad it wasn't Mom who found it. She's away visiting Aunt Sara. Despite being married to an ME, Mom doesn't deal too well with this kind of thing." She smiled weakly at Mac and he could see that she was shaken by the experience but doing her best to remain calm. She nervously tucked her long blond hair behind her ear.

"Sit yourself down. I'll take it from here." Mac guided her back to a seat at the table. Jenny nodded and smiled at Mac. She was relieved to see him; somehow he always inspired confidence in her and she knew her father trusted him more than anyone else he knew. She wrapped her hands around the cup of hot chocolate on the table. As Mac picked up his bag he heard voices from the hall and Sid came in with Don. Mac flicked his head at Don and they both went out the back door and into the yard. Sid followed them closing the door behind him. The three men walked a short way across the grass and stopped in front of a large tree. Mac placed his case on the ground and pulled a pair of latex gloves from his pocket.

"It is real I suppose?" asked Don grimacing as he stared up at the macabre sight in front of him.

"Oh yes!" began Sid. "With that amount of decay, I would estimate that it is some years old. Male, Caucasian, probably between forty and sixty. It's certainly been buried, then dug up and wired together before being ..." Sid held out his hand not sure what word to use to describe it. Despite his years as a medical examiner and the hundreds of dead bodies he'd seen this was the first one that made him feel physically sick. Sid ran his hand through his hair again at a loss for words.

Mac moved closer to the corpse that was hung from the tree in the centre of Sid's garden. He ran his pen light over the yellowed bones still covered with the greyed remnants of burial clothes. He noticed traces of dirt on both the clothes and the bones poking through them. Moving upward to the skull he caught glints of silver where wire had been used to join the bones together. Someone had gone to a lot of trouble to ensure that this skeleton remained intact. Mac slowly circled the tree examining in detail the corpse, the clothes, the rope, the tree and the surrounding area.

"And your daughter found it?" asked Don pulling his notebook and pen from his pocket.

Sid sighed deeply before answering. "Yes, we'd been out this evening. My wife's away visiting her sister so Jenny and I thought we would treat ourselves to dinner at Angelo's. We left around seven and got back just before ten. I was closing up and Jenny went out into the garden to find Mort."

"Mort?"

"Our cat. Short for Morticia." explained Sid still staring transfixed by the body hanging from his prize flowering cherry. He failed to catch the look that Don threw him.

"Great! A cat named Morticia." muttered Flack to himself. Not only was he allergic to cats but now he had to live with the knowledge that Sid had named his cat after one of his favourite TV show characters. He rubbed at his nose automatically not because he was affected by the cat, just by the thought of it. Why did he always catch the cases involving cats? He jotted down a few notes in his book. "Did either of you notice anything unusual … er … apart from the … er ..." Don gesticulated toward the cadaver that Mac was still assiduously examining.

"No. There were no signs that anyone had been in the house or the yard. While I was waiting for you I spoke to my neighbour, Mrs Harris over the road; she said she hadn't seen anything unusual this evening and believe me she would know if anything was going on! You may still want to have a word with her though."

Don nodded, not looking forward to that if Sid's face was anything to go by. and indicated that he'd interview Jenny and the neighbours. As he turned to go he asked Mac if he needed anything.

Mac's face was unreadable as he turned around. "No Don you go ahead. Sid, have you got a ladder?" Mac watched as both men left. He turned back to the partially dressed skeleton and pointed his light at the skull. Desiccated flesh still clung to one cheek and the hair stuck up in matted tufts across the top of the skull but it was the orbs that held his interest. One was empty but the other had something black and shiny poking out from it. Mac had a horrible feeling he knew what it was. He picked up his camera and took some over-alls, the glare from the flashes sending little beams of light across Sid's beautiful garden that would now be forever marred by the obscenity hung in it's centre.

Sid came round the side of the house carrying a ladder. He was followed by Sheldon Hawkes who was carrying his kit and a tarpaulin wrapped in plastic. Sheldon nodded a greeting to Mac, his face grim. He stared at the body for a moment, his mind working overtime.

"Is this some kind of sick joke?" he asked them in his usual quiet voice as his eyes took in every detail.

"No it's more than that." said Mac, his voice hard. Slinging the camera over his shoulder he took the ladder from Sid and set it up in front of the tree. As he climbed, Sid and Sheldon walked around to see more clearly what Mac was up to. Mac stopped half way up and swung the camera round. He clicked off a couple of shots. Both Sid and Sheldon peered at the skull having caught a glimpse of what Mac appeared to be interested in. Mac reached out to the skull and carefully removed a small black object from the eye socket. He looked at it for a moment and then descended the ladder.

Mac held up the item between his gloved fingers for them to see.

Sid frowned as he peered at it. "It's a chess piece."

"A bishop to be exact." Sheldon looked puzzled as he looked between the small black object and his boss. "You don't seem surprised."

"I'm not." said Mac to both men's astonishment. "That's because Sid is not the first victim."

'.'

_'CSI - NY'_

'.'

_Rowan Leech sat in his old run-down van and watched as Detective Mac Taylor and the men who had ruined his life said their goodbyes. Earlier a dark blue coroner's van had arrived and quietly reversed up the drive-way. One man and one woman had got out, unlocked the rear doors leaving them open so that it was impossible to see what was happening behind it. They had taken little more than six minutes before they had closed the doors, got back in and left with the body. Rowan Leech was a little disappointed. He had hoped for more of a show, at least a few sirens and flashing lights. He took a bite of his sandwich and rubbed a drip of mayonnaise into his trousers not caring about one extra stain. Still he had achieved his objective. Now for the next move._


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you for your reviews. They mean so much.  
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**Chapter 2**

Adam Ross sipped his coffee gratefully and watched the numbers count up on the elevator display panel. As it showed the magic number he stepped out into the crime lab and was about to make his way to the trace lab to finish up a sample he had been running the previous day when he noticed virtually the entire team in Mac's office. Adam glanced at his watch nervously. 8:28. He checked his mental diary; he wasn't late and there wasn't a team meeting so therefore something important must have happened. He wandered slowly up to the door and paused unsure whether to go in or not. Danny, Lindsay, and Jo were sat around Mac's coffee table looking at files and photographs, the man himself was on the phone. As Mac looked up he waved at Adam to come in.

"Hey guys! What's up?" Adam asked tentatively not liking the serious looks on everyone's faces. Adam twisted his head to look at one of the photographs on the table. "Er … is that a corpse hanging in a tree?"

Jo twisted the photograph around for him to see. "Sid and his daughter came home from dinner last night to find this hanging from the cherry tree in the middle of his back yard."

Adam's eyes almost popped out of his head as he took another look at the photograph. "Oh man, that's some kind of sick joke. Who would do a thing like that?"

Lindsay looked sick herself as she pushed another photograph across the table. " The same person who killed Jodie's dog." Everyone looked at Adam as he studied the second picture of a King Charles Spaniel lying on it's side. It could have been sleeping except for the matted red fur behind one ear.

"Jodie? As in Jodie Grigson from finance?" Adam flinched a little and looked around nervously, not wanting to admit that the fearsome red-headed little woman from finance scared the living daylights out of him. Just the sharp click of her heels in the corridor was enough to send him diving for cover.

Lindsay nodded. "She found her on her porch last week." Adam opened his mouth to ask another question but Lindsay interrupted him. "And before you ask, yes we have evidence that they are linked." Lindsay placed two small evidence bags on the top of each of the photographs. Adam picked them up turning them over in his hand.

"Chess pieces?"

Mac hung up the phone. "Chess pieces." he confirmed. "Adam I want you to run them for trace and see if you can find a source. If we know where they came from, it might give us a clue as to who's behind this. Danny, Lindsay try to find a correlation between Sid and Jodie. Why they have been targeted? And see if you can get anything from the cast of the partial boot-print I lifted.". Danny and Lindsay nodded as they got up to leave. "Oh and er .. be discrete but if you hear of anything … unusual … among the staff let me know straight away. I don't want to start a panic but be vigilant." Everyone nodded as they left knowing exactly what Mac meant.

"You think there may be more instances of this?" Jo looked at Mac carefully trying to gauge his reaction as he got up from his desk and moved to join her on the sofa. He nodded.

"It's possible. Sid and Sheldon are working on the body now. Hopefully they'll be able to come up with an ID which might help explain what this is about. Jodie has agreed to us digging up her pet and performing an autopsy." Mac got up from his desk and walked around to the table and sat beside Jo.

"How did you know about Jodie's dog?" asked Jo.

"We had a cost-cutting meeting Friday. She seemed upset. I asked her what was wrong. She told me how she had gone home as usual and found the dog on the porch. She had no idea how the dog had got out the house. The chess piece was attached to her collar. She took a picture with her phone to show the police but they thought it was probably an accident or the local kids playing a sick joke." Mac sighed and picked up two of the pictures. "He's trying to send a message but what? " He studied the pictures intently.

Jo looked at the photographs. "The cadaver could be a reference to Sid's profession. The perp placed it in his yard, in the centre of his garden, his pride and joy, the one place where he can get away from his job." Jo clasped her hands together knowing how important Sid's garden was to him. "According to Sheldon, the body was wired together. It was done correctly by someone with knowledge of the procedure and of anatomy." Jo reached across for the picture of the dog. "I don't know Jodie well but I do know that she loved her dog. There has to be a dozen pictures in her office. This was done by someone who has intimate knowledge of both of them." Jo looked at Mac.

He nodded. "That's what I'm afraid of." he mused.

"That it's someone from the lab...?"

"That or someone who's done their research. Someone who holds a grudge. Perhaps someone we've put away who believes they've been wronged or a family member or perhaps a victim who believes we didn't do our job right" Mac sighed heavily. "There's dozens of possibilities."

"Well whoever it is they have told us something about themselves." Mac looked at Jo quizzically. "The chess pieces have to mean something. Don't suppose you put away any Grand Masters?"

"Yes but not that kind." laughed Mac as he remembered one of his early cases involving DJs. His smile quickly faded. Jo could tell he was trying to recall something. She was often surprised by his phenomenal memory. "But Sheldon did … or … at least the perp was a chess player. " Mac closed his eyes as he tried to recall the details of the case. "He hadn't been in the field long and I put him on a case where a young boy was killed in a fire … Luke Robertson! He set a fire in his girlfriend's apartment hoping to force her to move in with him. He didn't know that her son was home playing on-line chess. He was supposed to be in school. The boy died from smoke inhalation. We got a conviction. If I remember rightly he went down for 7 years."

"Only 7 years?" Jo was horrified.

"He confessed. Turned himself in once he realized that we had evidence. Strange thing was he loved her and the boy. He had been pressuring her to move in with him so they could be a family. She kept hesitating and he did something stupid. He rigged what he thought would be a small electrical fire but it had disastrous consequences." Mac shrugged.

"And how does Jodie Grigson fit in?" asked Jo.

"I have no idea." Mac's attention was diverted as his phone rang. "Ah Sheldon ...We'll be right there." He flashed a smile at Jo that made her heart melt. "We have an ID on our vic." Jo followed Mac out of his office. Forever the gentleman, he stood back as the elevator doors opened and ushered her in.

"So do you know Jodie well?" Jo asked innocently as she pressed the button.

Mac seemed a little taken aback by the question. "Er … not well. I mean we've worked together for several years." He glanced at Jo but she was looking up at the elevator floor display. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh no reason. I thought you seemed to be good friends." Jo smiled at him. Mac shuffled a little uncomfortably not knowing where this was going. "You have dinner together often …?"

Startled by the question, Mac looked at her and felt the colour rise in his cheeks. "Er no, that was a one off … thing." Jo tried to hide her smile knowing perfectly well that the fierce little financial controller had a crush on him and had virtually pinned him into a corner and blackmailed him into dinner but Jo enjoyed seeing Mac squirm. He just looked so damn cute when he was embarrassed. Also part of her wanted a little revenge as she wished it had been her that was sitting opposite him in that romantic little French restaurant. Not that she was jealous; that would be ridiculous she told herself, after all he was her partner and her boss. The elevator dinged and she swept out of the doors before Mac could say anything else. He was left behind to stare at her retreating back. _How the hell had she known about that?_ For some reason he felt guilty and a little part of him wished that he hadn't been cajoled into taking Jodie out to dinner. Part of him wished it had been Jo but that would be ridiculous he told himself; after all she was his partner and his second in command.

Sid unclipped his glasses as Jo approached with a secretive little smile on her face. He was surprised to see Mac several paces behind looking a little put out. He shrugged it off. "Meet John Rudolph Renfrew. My first case as a fully fledged ME."

"Your first case?" Jo looked at Mac as Sid nodded.

"Cause of death?" asked Mac.

"Suicide. Case was cut and dried. He was clinically depressed. He had money problems. Left a note and took pills and liquor." Sid clipped his glasses together over his nose. "I can confirm Sheldon's theory that his reconstruction was done by someone with a reasonable amount of knowledge. Mr Renfrew has been put back together quite professionally. The drill holes for the the wire have been done with precision. Sheldon has taken samples of the clothing and wire up to Danny and Lindsay for analysis."

"Okay Sid, anything else?" As Sid shook his head Mac's phone rang. As he listened they could see a look of anger flash in his eyes before he turned away from them. "We'll be right there."

"What's wrong?" Jo saw that Mac looked ashen as he turned towards her.

"Flack went to check out reports of a grave that had been violated. He thought that it might be related to our victim. While he was there he decided to visit his ..." Mac hesitated and cleared his voice. " … former girlfriend's grave. Jessica Angell. She was killed in the line of duty. There are flowers on her grave and …" Mac looked at them both but they knew what he was going to say before he said it. "... a chess piece."

Less than twenty minutes later Mac pulled the Avalanche into the cemetery. There were very few people around. As they got out Mac asked Jo and Sheldon to give him a couple of minutes. They stood side by side leaning against the car and watched him walk up the soft incline to where Don was standing, his arms folded tightly against his body. They could see him staring at the grave. He didn't move as Mac approached. They watched as Mac reached to put a hand on his shoulder and speak to him. After a few minutes Don walked away and Mac bent down.

"I think that's our cue." said Sheldon softly, pushing off the car.

"Did you know her?" asked Jo.

"Yeah, she was a great cop. Don loved her very much. It was hard." Sheldon cleared his throat. Jo nodded and didn't push it any further. She had often noticed a deep sadness within Don and this explained so much. Stepping up behind Mac they looked at the gravestone. Mac slipped on his gloves and carefully lifted the bunch of flowers laid in front of it.

"Tagetes." Mac turned the flowers round to show them.

"Also known as marigolds." Jo looked at Mac. "Is he trying to tell us something?" Sheldon looked back and forth between them slightly puzzled.

"Possibly." nodded Mac. "Marigolds signify pain and grief. They were regarded as the flower of the dead in pre-Hispanic Mexico and are still widely used in the Day of the Dead celebrations."

Sheldon lifted his eyebrows. He considered himself to be a mine of abstract trivia but there were times when Mac could certainly give him a run for his money. "And the chess piece?"

Mac lifted one of the loops of the bow. There entwined in the ribbon was a polished black piece of wood in the shape of a rider on horseback.

"A knight." said Mac.

"You said Don worked the Luke Robertson case?" asked Jo.

Sheldon nodded. "Yeah he made the arrest based on my evidence. But I don't get it. Luke Robertson doesn't strike me as someone who would want revenge for an arrest. He turned himself in. He was remorseful. It was an accident. Why would he do something like this?"

Jo nodded. "And why would he kill Jodie's dog?"

Sheldon looked at her with a shrug. "Like I said it doesn't make sense."

"Well let's see if it makes sense when we talk to him." Mac stood and held out the flowers for Sheldon to bag.

'.'

_'CSI - NY'_

'.'

_Rowan Leech knelt down at the graveside. He looked briefly at the name engraved on the stone but it didn't mean anything to him. He was more interested in the people stood thirty yards away looking at the gold flowers, gathered into a bunch with a black ribbon. He couldn't hear their words but he could see Detective Taylor explaining something. He was feeling very pleased with himself. Tagetes had been a nice touch he thought to himself. It was all in the details. _

_It had been pure chance that he had come to see if they had found the flowers yet. He had been surprised to see Don Flack walk up, bend down to look at the flowers and quickly straighten again to look around the cemetery. He had pretended to clear away the dead flowers from the grave he was kneeling by. He had taken them and thrown them away before removing a posy from another grave as an excuse to stay longer. It hadn't been long before the others turned up with a striking dark-haired woman. Rowan nodded to himself. She must be Bonasera's replacement. He wasn't interested in her. He watched as they bagged the flowers and resisted the temptation to laugh at his brilliance. That wouldn't be appropriate behaviour for a place such as this. The posy in his hand dripped with water as he pushed it into the holder at the side of the gravestone. He rose and walked away unable to help the smile that crossed his lips. _


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you for reading and for your reviews. In answer to your questions Morticia is from the Addams Family; the case concerning DJs is from Season 1 Episode 5 GrandMaster; and the case currently being discussed here is** **from Season 2 Episode 4 Corporate Warriors.**

**Chapter 3**

Jo Danville sat opposite the thin, grey-faced man with the sad eyes. She had been horrified to hear that he had served so little time for killing the boy but now that she sat in his small grey apartment she almost began to feel sorry for him. Despite having left the bars behind he was still locked in his own prison of regret and self-hatred.

"I don't play any more." he said as Sheldon asked him if he still played chess. "I haven't since the day … the day you arrested me." Luke Robertson lifted his tear-filled eyes to look at them. "I can't." he whispered.

"Can you tell me where you were yesterday evening between six and ten?" asked Jo as she glanced around the apartment. Everything looked unkempt. The drapes were half pulled, clothes thrown on the back of a chair. There were the remains of a meal on the table, bread crumbs on the floor, dust on the television in the corner and the trash was over-flowing. Once it must have been a nice apartment. Perfect for a small family. Now it looked uncared for and desolate.

"I was at work." Luke answered.

"On a Sunday evening?" asked Sheldon.

"I had trouble finding a job after I got out. No one wants to employ someone who's been in prison." Luke looked at them both. "I wash dishes at Joe's Pizzeria, three blocks from here. It's not much but it helps pay the bills. Why do you ask?"

Sheldon looked at Jo. "Do you know Sid Hammerback or Judy Grigson?" Jo looked at Luke carefully as Sheldon asked the question but he just looked blank as he shook his head. Either he was a good actor or he didn't recognize the names. She looked back at Sheldon.

"I don't understand. What is this about?" stammered Luke.

"It's okay Mr Robertson. Just routine. We'll be on our way." Sheldon rose to leave. "Just don't leave town." Jo got up and followed Sheldon to the door. As they opened the door to say they goodbyes, Luke looked at them, utter loss and despair etched on his face.

"Where would I go? This apartment is all I have left. Karen moved away without leaving an address and my daughter is living with her step-parents. There is nowhere for me to go." He closed the door leaving Jo and Sheldon standing forlornly in the corridor.

''

'CSI - NY'

''

Danny Messer threw a file with the results of the analyses onto Mac's desk and collapsed into the chair opposite. "A big fat nothing!" he huffed. "Adam found no trace on any of the chess pieces. They've been wiped clean. He is still trying to locate a source. They're hand-painted wood so definitely not from one of the big manufacturers. He's going to check a few specialized shops but it's a long shot. The boot-print you found is a classic workman's boot made by Tuff. They sell to every large outlet store. No trace other than the soil and grass from Sid's garden which in itself is odd. I mean there was NO other trace in the print, no stones, no asphalt, no carpet fibres, no dog dirt. Nothing."

Mac nodded in agreement. "Unusual. You would expect something else. Maybe they were new, worn specifically for the purpose."

"Sorry Mac!" Danny yawned. "But we cut it all ways. There is no link between Sid and Jodie other than the fact they both work here and they both know you." Danny didn't even attempt to hide a smirk. Mac looked disgruntled as it began to dawn on him that the whole department knew about the dinner with Jodie.

"Go home Danny!" He offered as he grabbed the file that Danny had left him. Danny threw him a 'Don't shoot the messenger' look. "Seriously Danny. Go home. You look all in. Have you got the McPherson preliminaries tomorrow?" Mac asked. Danny nodded, his face dropping. Court appearances were not his favourite part of the job. Sometimes you could sit around for hours and he expected this one to drag on forever given the high-powered lawyers the perp had hired. Mac knew how he felt. He smiled. "Look Danny. You did a great job and you're going to get a conviction. Be patient. It will probably drag on but you've got enough evidence to sink the Titanic. So take it slow … and take the rest of the day." Waving off Danny's protests, he added. "You've worked your butt off on this one. When the preliminaries are over, take the rest of the day. Lindsay's on early shift, pick her up, go get your daughter from school, have an evening with your family." As Danny was about to protest, Mac smiled. "That's an order!"

"Okay, okay!" Danny was exhausted so he was grateful that Mac offered. "What about this case?"

"Don't worry about. I got it. At the moment it's not top priority." Mac sighed. Although it was frustrating and he could feel that whoever was behind was taunting him, no one had been killed and he had two other major crimes to close. He smiled at Danny. "Get the McPherson case out of the way and then you can work on this. Go!"

Danny held up his hands in mock surrender. "Okay I'm outta here. Night Mac."

"Night Danny." Mac read through the results and skimmed through the photographs before leaning back in his chair and closing his eyes with a sigh. "_Jodie's dog. A rook. Sid's first case. A bishop. Don and Jess. A knight. What are you trying to tell me? Dammit!_"

"That it's time for you to go home and get some rest." Mac's eyes flew open as he sprang forward. He hadn't realized he'd been speaking out loud.

"Dammit Jo! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" Mac blushed that he had been caught out. He had thought she had already gone home for the evening. "Shouldn't you be home?"

"I could say the same for you. But as it happens no. Ellie and her class have a museum visit tonight so I'm at a loose end." Jo flashed him a smile as he raised an eyebrow and checked his watch. "Night at the Museum?" she added. "It's a movie."

"Yes I know it's a movie..." Mac started.

"... and the museum organizes sleep-overs for the kids mixed in with a visit to the exhibits at night. Like the movie. Cool huh?"

Mac nodded. "Never did anything like that when I was at school," he grumbled as he got up from his chair and reached for his jacket. Mac turned to Jo with an enigmatic look on his face. "So you're at a loose end?" Jo nodded. "Dinner?" he asked as a surreptitious smile crossed his lips.

Dinner was an unexpected surprise. Jo suppressed a smile. "What about Jodie?" Mac looked a little startled and blushed like an embarrassed schoolboy. Jo's face broke into a grin. So adorable! He cleared his throat and gave her a warning. "Jo!" She giggled to herself as she went back to her office to get her coat and purse. She couldn't help winding him up.

''

'CSI - NY'

''

_Rowan Leech sat in the coffee shop nursing his second coffee of the evening. He let the dregs of the coffee drip off the spoon and back into the cup. He had watched the lab rats leave the building singly or in small groups, some laughing as they left as though they'd been having the time of their lives. He could feel the anger beginning to smoulder inside him. He watched as Danny Messer left slinging his bag over his shoulder. He allowed himself a small smile as he thought about the next day. It was risky but it would be worth it. He had planned it very carefully, timing it down to the last second. Yes it would be worth it._

_Suddenly he was dragged away from his reverie by the sight of Detective Taylor coming out with his new partner. For some reason he felt annoyed. The anger flared inside him. He always worked late when he had a big case on yet here he was walking out of the building and standing on the pavement discussing something with the dark-haired woman. He should be working his case, puzzling over the clues he'd left him. He expected them to part ways but instead they both turned in the same direction and headed across the road. Rowan watched as Mac put an arm around her waist and guided her through the traffic. Curiosity got the better of him and he got up to follow them but fate intervened. He shouldn't have chosen the coffee shop closest to the lab._

_"Rowan! Man it's been a long time! How are doing? " He had no choice but stop and put on a fake smile and lie._

_"Great! Everything's great!" He managed to get out with a reasonable amount of self-confidence. "How things with you Adam?"_

_''_


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thank you for reading and for all those lovely reviews. Hope this is making sense so far.**

**Chapter 4**

Don Flack stood at the graveside for a moment before laying down the roses he had brought. He felt the anger surge through him as he recalled stepping up to the memorial the previous day and finding the unwelcome gift that had been left. What the hell was this guy up to? First Jodie, then Sid, now this. Each time something personal. Don couldn't help but wonder who would be next. He stood up as his phone rang indicating an incoming message. He frowned. A car accident in Queens. Why would he be called to that? He was about to call in when he heard a sharp cry from behind him. Turning round he saw an elderly lady standing looking down at a gravestone in horror.

He walked swiftly over to her. "Excuse me Ma'am, is everything all right?" Don asked. The old lady looked up at him with tears in her soft blue eyes.

"Oh I'm so sorry!" she said. "I didn't mean to disturb you. I was just so surprised. Who would do such a thing?" She pointed at the flowers on the grave. Don looked down at the little posy of slightly wilted pink flowers pushed hastily into the flower holder at the side of the stone. "Fancy stealing flowers from another grave and putting them here." The old lady wiped her eyes. "I can't imagine who would do such a thing. It's not right."

"What makes you think that they were stolen?" asked Don gently.

"Oh! I see them every week on the grave over there." She pointed towards the path where there was a seat and a refuse bin. "There's always fresh flowers on it. Every week. Beautiful posies just like this one. Poor little thing. She was only six when she died. Why would someone take flowers from a child's grave and put them on my Walter's? It's not right." She bent down and picked up the flowers and turned to take them back. Flack glanced at the gravestone. He remembered there had been someone there yesterday when he had discovered the Marigolds on Jess' grave. He tried to think back but he hadn't been taking much notice. He had been too upset at finding the chess piece. Don followed the old lady and watched her put the little posy back on the child's grave opposite the seat. She shook her head gently in dismay. "Taken so young. So sad. At least they're waiting for us in a better place." She smiled, patted Don's arm and wandered back to her husband's grave with her own flowers. Don stood and watched her for a second, a sudden feeling of warmth spreading through him. He had noted the date on her husband's stone. The old lady had been bringing him flowers for 18 years.

'.'

'CSI - NY'

'.'

Jo waved to Don as he pulled up. He got out, ducked under the police tape and wandered over to the car. He waved at Bellamy who was interviewing a witness and glanced at the fire department guys who were clearing away their cutting equipment.

"Hey Jo. What's up?" Don flashed her a quick smile. "Isn't Bellamy good enough for ya?"

Jo grinned at him as Detective Marcus Bellamy joined them. "I heard that Flack but I thought I'd drag you down here to show you how the pro's do it." Marcus grinned at Don, their friendly rivalry making Jo roll her eyes. Marcus suddenly looked serious as he walked them over to the wreck of the car that had taken a nose dive into the wall. "You're not going to like this though. Car's registered to Bruce Guthrie."

"Guthrie?" Every hair on his body stood on end as a feeling of dread came over him. "As in the guy from Human Resources?"

Marcus nodded. "Yep. Fire guys had to cut him out. He's on his way to N.Y. General but he's not looking good despite the air-bags deploying." They all examined the front of the sports car that was concertinaed by the impact. "My first guess is brake failure." Marcus pointed back up the road. "No skid marks. Picked up speed on the hill. Tried to brake for the junction. Nothing happened. He swung the wheel at the last minute but he must have hit this wall at close to seventy miles an hour."

"Well we won't know the exact cause until we get it back to the lab." Jo said as she looked closely at the roof of the car. "Mm. Odd." she said. Marcus and Don leaned over and peered to see what she was looking at. "The paint here is peeling away." Jo took tweezers and pulled several sticky fragments of paint and scraped them onto the inside of a jar.

"Not from the impact?" asked Don.

Jo shook her head. "No it's tacky, like it's been partially dissolved. I'll get it looked at back at the lab."

"Is there a … you know?" asked Don. Marcus looked at him strangely. Jo looked at them over the roof on the car and shrugged her shoulders to indicate that she didn't know. They both ducked down, Bellamy mirroring their actions.

"A you know what?" asked Bellamy wondering what he was supposed to be looking for. Don searched the passenger side and Jo the driver's side while Bellamy looked on puzzled. Jo reached into the back of the car and pulled the jacket from the hook. She felt in the pockets, her eyes widening as her fingers came into contact with a small hard object. Slowly she withdrew it from the pocket and held it up for them to see.

"A pendent?" queried Marcus.

"A rook!" Don's stomach turned over as he saw the black wooden chess piece dangling from the string.

'.'

'CSI - NY'

'.'

Mac poured himself a coffee, stirred in some sugar and made his way wearily to the conference room. He could see Sid and Sheldon comparing notes and Jo deep in conversation with Don. Adam joined him in the corridor.

Adam handed him a thick file. "Here you go boss. Lindsay asked me to give you this before she left. She finished up the trace on the knife and … I got a match on the DNA. Results are inside. Just needs your magic signature and that's another case closed. Whad'up?"

Adam attempted a Michael Jackson impression which made Mac smile. Mac patted him on shoulder as they took their places in the conference room. "Great job Adam. What would I do without you?" Adam beamed.

"Any news on Bruce Guthrie?" asked Mac as he sank into a chair and took a hesitant sip of his coffee.

Don shook his head. "He's critical. On life support. It doesn't look good Mac. This guy upping his game?"

Mac agreed. "It certainly looks that way. What do you have for me on the accident?"

"Definitely not an accident." Mac turned to look at Sheldon. "That partially dissolved paint Jo lifted from the roof of the car? We found more trace on the hood. Analysis shows it to have been dissolved with sulphuric acid, a composition consistent with lead-acid batteries."

As Mac frowned, Jo added. "It looks like he sprinkled the car with battery acid. Some of it got into the electronic controls including those for the braking system." Mac's frown deepened. He looked at Adam.

"Nothing from the chess piece. It's as clean as a whistle other than a partial belonging to Bruce Guthrie. Same for the string which is just your average household string." Adam shrugged. "And I'm not having any luck with a source for your chess pieces. They're hand-made but none of the stores I've contacted so far stock anything like them. Sorry!"

Mac smiled at him. "He knew that Adam would keep plugging away at it." Mac spun his chair round to study the boards behind him. Jodie's dog, Sid's garden, Jess' gravestone, Bruce's car ... Mac's phone rang.

"Hello. Lindsay! … Whoa! Slow down! What? Oh my God, is she all right?" Everyone in the room jumped picking up on the tension in Mac's words. "No go home. I'll meet you there." Mac hung up. Jo shivered dreading what he was going to say. Slowly he spun back to face them. His eyes were as hard and cold as ice. "Danny and Lindsay went to pick up Lucy from school. As she came out she handed Danny an evidence bag saying his friend had asked her to give it to him. It contained a chess piece."

'.'

'CSI - NY'

'.'

_Rowan Leech slurped cereal from a cracked bowl, splashing the milk over the table. He glanced at the images on the television screen, a handsome young reporter filming the removal of a car wreck. He didn't need the sound to know that the crash had happened in Queens and the driver was in critical condition. The scrolling titles across the bottom of the screen told him everything he needed to know. He threw his spoon down in irritation. That wasn't supposed to have happened. That had spoiled his game-play. He bit his thumb for a moment before picking up the spoon again; at least it wasn't a completely wasted day. Getting the little girl to come to the fence during recess hadn't been so hard. She and her friends had been playing there every day for two weeks. At first he had thought it wasn't going to work as she had staunchly declared that she wasn't to accept things from strangers but the sight of the evidence bag had clinched it. Of course she recognized it from Mommy and Daddy's kits and it hadn't been hard to persuade her that only Daddy's friends would have one. It was a pity that he couldn't have been there to see their faces when she handed them the bag but there was nowhere to hide and watch and too many cameras outside the school. But it had been fun watching Taylor leaving the crime lab building early and flagging a cab. He had even been close enough to hear him give their address. Rowan grimaced. That would have to be his last trip to the crime lab though. He hadn't counted on running into Adam. That could have ruined everything._

_Rowan got up from the table and finished the cereal. He threw the bowl into the sink and ran water over it. He would have to wash up the dishes as it was almost full. He shut off the tap and listened to the water drip into the sink. That would have to wait. He had his next moves to plan._

'.'


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Oh wow. Thank you for reading and reviewing, and for the alerts. Mmm. This is not going where some of you think ... hope you won't be too disappointed. Mav32, glad u liked the moment with Don and the old lady. That character was based on my mother, God Bless her, who did indeed take flowers to my Dad's grave for 18 years.**

**This chapter is a little fluffy .. at least compared to what I usually write .. but I have to give the villain time to prepare his evil deeds ... ;-)  
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**Chapter 5**

"Uncle Mac!" A blur of pink pyjamas and golden hair flew into her godfather's arms. "Read me a story? Pleeese!" Danny and Lindsay smiled as their daughter flashed her big blue eyes at Mac. They were surprised how easily the little girl could get Mac to do her bidding and story-time was definitely his domain. Lucy adored his deep rich voice and being hugged in the crook of his arm as he read to her curled up on her tiny pink bed. And secretly Danny and Lindsay adored story-time with 'Uncle Mac' too. They had carefully positioned a mirror so they could watch them unnoticed. Tonight Danny and Lindsay both were on edge but they felt somehow reassured as Mac calmly carried Lucy through to her bedroom as though nothing had happened and this was just a routine visit. They could hear them choosing a book and the creak of the bed as Mac sat on it with Lucy. They sat down on the sofa with Jo who was looking at Lucy's door a little bemused. She hadn't expected that. "Are you two okay?" she asked as she looked back at them.

"What the hell does this guy want?" Danny spat, the anger and frustration bubbling just beneath the surface. Lindsay put a reassuring hand on her husband's knee before turning to look at the bedroom as a fit of giggles broke the silence. Jo knew all about what had happened with Shane Casey and how nervous they were that Lucy would be affected by their profession. Jo knew exactly how they felt and resisted the temptation to call Ellie then and there knowing that she was safely at home working on her museum report with her friend.

"He's trying to get to us but I don't think it's his intention to actually harm anyone." Danny and Lindsay stared at Jo in amazement. "Hear me out ..." she asked as they started to protest. They all paused to listen for a second before Jo continued but all they could hear was Mac's soft voice and Lucy's giggling.

"Look at the evidence. Admittedly he killed Jodie's dog but the other events weren't designed to harm anyone only hurt them …" Jo hesitated searching for the right word. "...emotionally."

"What about this guy from Human Resources, Bruce Guthrie? He put him in the hospital." Danny interjected jabbing at the air with his hand not believing what Jo was saying. Lindsay rubbed at his knee and he let out a deep breath as he grabbed her hand.

"Danny, I don't think that was what he intended. I've spoken with Bruce's colleagues and our mechanical guys. It seems that Bruce's car was his pride and joy and normally he only drives his car for pleasure on weekends. I think the battery acid was intended to damage just the surface of the car and was almost certainly done last night. Now Bruce left Sunday evening for a conference but was called back suddenly this morning because his grandmother was taken ill. He needed to get to the care home quickly and he took his car!"

Lindsay and Danny thought about what Jo had said for few seconds. Lindsay looked at her. "So are you saying our perp only intended to spoil the car not actually sabotage it?"

Jo nodded. "Most of the damage was to the roof and the hood. I don't think he anticipated that the acid would drip into and erode the electronics and that Bruce would drive the car so soon." Jo looked at them both. "Everything he has done so far has been with the intention to despoil or to threaten that which is most precious to us. Sid's garden. Jodie's dog. Jess' grave. Bruce's car. Your daughter. One thing we know is that he knows us well. Too well. He has to have insider information. "

"Someone from the lab?" asked Danny.

"More than likely though it could be someone with access to someone from the lab. Or someone who has done a lot of research. The big question is why?"

"He obviously holds a grudge against us so it must be a case that we've all worked on but then I don't get why he would go after Jodie and Bruce. They're finance and human resources. They're not directly involved in any cases. What about Sheldon's case – the chess player?" asked Lindsay.

Jo shook her head. "No we spoke to him. The only person he blames is himself and his alibis check out. No. I know the chess pieces are important but I'm not sure we should take them too literally. He could just be using them as an identifier like a signature."

"Or he's using them to refer to us?"

"What?" Danny looked at his wife in surprise and grinned. "So Jodie and Bruce are Rooks, Don and I are Knights, Sid's a Bishop… does that make Mac and Jo the King and Queen?" His smile slowly faded as the two women looked at him. He lowered his voice. "Could this all be to get at Mac?" No one said anything for a few minutes as they tried to come up with reasons for the strange events.

They all looked towards Lucy's room. It was now totally silent. Lindsay got up and walked quietly down the hall and peered into the mirror. She then stood in front of the door and smiled. She waved at Jo. Curious, Jo got up and joined Lindsay, putting her head round the corner of the door, her face breaking into a big grin. Mac had discarded his jacket, kicked off his shoes and rolled up his sleeves. He was propped up among Lucy's pink Dora the Explorer bed linen and fluffy cushions with a copy of Old Bear open on his lap, and a little sleeping beauty curled up fast asleep in the crook of his arm. His eyes were closed and he was gently stroking her hair with his free hand. Jo sighed. Definitely adorable!

Suddenly an arm with a mobile phone reached in through the doorway with a click and a whir. Mac's eyes flew open and he shot Danny a fierce glare before Danny retreated to the safety of the other room. Lindsay helped Mac get Lucy under the covers and they turned out the light.

As Mac joined them he looked at Danny. "Don't you have enough?" Though his voice was stern, Jo could see his eyes sparkling.

Danny grinned back. "Nah! You can never have enough blackmail material." Jo arched an eyebrow at Mac who blushed nicely for her as he bent down to put on his shoes. Mac cleared his throat.

"So, we're looking for a guy who came to school during afternoon recess. He's the same height as Danny but a little fatter, same coloured hair, unshaven, wearing sun-glasses and a baseball cap. He had sneakers with blue laces and white magician's gloves. He called Lucy by name. He said he worked with you and that you'd forgotten something but he didn't have time to go back to the lab. He then pulled the evidence bag from the satchel over his shoulder and thanked her very nicely." Mac straightened up. "Oh … and er … she's lost her gym bag, Zoe is stupid, Kim is her new best friend and Old Bear is still her favourite story."

Jo's mouth fell open as she stared at Mac in surprise. Danny looked stunned and Lindsay spluttered. "How the hell did you get that out of her? All she told us was some man gave it to her."

Mac shrugged, a tiny smile crossing his lips as he got up and put his jacket on. "What can I say? My god-daughter has the makings of a great CSI, just like her parents." Mac sighed. "Look I don't think that Lucy is in any danger here but if you want to stay home with her tomorrow, it's not a problem." Danny and Lindsay nodded their thanks. "Come along Queen Jo. Time to take you home." She flashed Jo another one of those smiles that made her melt.

"You heard that?" she asked astonished . He nodded as he accompanied her to the door. They wished Danny and Lindsay good-night and headed for the elevator. "Mac Taylor, sometimes you are just full of surprises."

'.'

'CSI - NY'

'.'

_Rowan Leech fiddled with the lock on the side door and quickly looked up and down the alley before slipping inside and bolting it behind him. He made his way quickly down the corridor and through the plastic panels that protected access to the back room. Stepping onto the plastic protective sheet he took off the blue-laced sneakers and placed them in an evidence bag next to the Tuff work-boots. He then took the long handled satchel off his shoulder and put that in a bag. He took off the jacket and trousers and hung them in a protective zip bag before slipping on his stained trousers and sweater. He stripped off the white cotton gloves and threw them in the trash. People were so ignorant he told himself. The teller at the post office had barely given him a second glance as she was so transfixed by the white gloves. She had readily accepted his explanation of eczema but she had been loath to touch the packages dropping them into the large plastic bin with the tips of her fingers. Like most people she believed it was contagious. He sneered. People were so ignorant._

_He pushed his way through a second set of plastic curtains and grabbed the dustbin and pulled it back through the room banging into a table as he did so. He ignored the coffee cup that he knocked over not worried that it was now dripping onto the floor he had so carefully protected from trace. Bruce had spoiled his game plan but he had to forge ahead. It had to be tonight._

'.'  
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	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Oh double wow. Thank you for reading and reviewing, and for the alerts. Sorry about the fluff in the last chapter - I was pleased to see that some of you liked it. Couldn't resist having a little Mac "_despite the hard exterior I'm a big softie really_" moment. Now back to the story and our next 'victim'. And a few more clues as to the identity of our resident villain! Please leave a little review even if it's only one word and encourage me to get this finished.  
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**Chapter 6**

Sheldon Hawkes hopped on his bike and sped off towards the park. The call had come in that a jogger had taken a tumble and was bleeding from the forehead. He didn't volunteer with the parks medical unit as often as he used to but he still liked to keep his hand in as often as he could. He coasted in through the gates and cycled past the lake heading towards the pond. He slowed as he got there and looked around. It was fairly quiet; there were only a few people walking home from a late night at the office and a young couple sitting on a bench. He approached the young couple and asked about a jogger but they shook their heads. They hadn't seen anyone other than a park employee emptying the trash. Sheldon pulled off his helmet and looked around. It wouldn't be the first time that someone had played a joke. It was then that the peaceful evening was shattered by a scream. Sheldon leapt from the bike and propped it against the bench as the young couple jumped up in fright. He ran towards the clump of trees and pushed though the tangle of branches.

"Fifi! Come away from there!" A plump woman in a long blue coat and fluffy scarf screamed at the small dog sniffing around the body. Sheldon ran up and stopped abruptly beside a man who was staring fixedly at the ground. The woman looked at Sheldon. "Really these kids!" She complained as she bent to pick up the little Yorkshire Terrier. "What will they do next? There's far too much of this kind of thing on television. I blame the parents you know! Come along Geoffrey!" The woman stalked off with a flick of her head, Geoffrey following obediently behind leaving Sheldon to stare at the shop window mannequin with a knife sticking in it's chest, red paint trickling down the pink plastic torso. The mannequin was missing it's legs but pushed into one partially closed hand was a black wooden chess piece. A bishop.

'.'

_'CSI - NY'_

'.'

Sid Hammerback glared at the two autopsy tables arranged side by side. He turned his glare on Sheldon who was trying hard to suppress a grin. "Oh come on Sid. You've got to admit that it makes a change from your usual routine." Sid was not amused as he stared at the King Charles Spaniel and the shop window mannequin. Sheldon sniggered and as Sid glanced at his two assistants standing by the doors shaking with laughter, even he had to smile.

The elevator dinged and Mac and Jo walked in. Mac looked serious as he approached but his eyes lit up with amusement as he looked at the two 'bodies'. "You're not actually planning on autopsying it are you Sid?" he asked nodding at the mannequin. Sid shot him a despairing look as Sheldon laughed.

"Any luck tracing the call to the medical unit?" Jo asked. Sheldon shook his head. "Don't tell me. Untraceable disposable phone?" Jo sighed as Sheldon gave her a silent yes. "I don't suppose there's any trace ..." Sheldon shook his head again. "I thought that might be too much to ask for." Jo threw her hands in the air and tossed her head making her ear-rings swing gently back and forth. "This guy is beginning to get on my nerves."

Mac looked at her with a wry look on his face. "Look on the bright side. Almost every member of the team has received one and he's running out of pieces. Perhaps after that he'll stop wasting our time. What puzzles me is the inclusion of Jodie and Bruce?"

"Any news on Bruce?" asked Sid as he moved over to the mannequin.

"Flack says he's still holding on. Even the doctors are amazed." Mac bent down to look at the knife. Sid pulled it out carefully and held it up for them to see. "It's a replica. Like we would use in reconstruction." Mac held out a bag for Sid to drop the knife into. Sid took a swab of the paint and handed that to Mac as Sheldon pulled the chess piece from the mannequin's hand and popped that in a bag. "Let's see if any of these give us something."

They all turned as Jo's phone rang. "Okay we'll be right there." She looked a little confused as she hung up. "That was Danny. Adam's found some security camera footage from outside the school yesterday. But he says we're not going to like it."

'.'

_'CSI - NY'_

'.'

Adam stared at the screen in horror. He could feel everyone's eyes on him. Slowly he looked sideways at Mac as though he expected his boss to grab him by the shirt collar and throw him against the wall demanding an explanation. But Mac didn't move. His brow was furrowed and his arms were folded tightly against his body as he rubbed his thumb and forefinger across his lips studying the picture of the person standing by the fence surrounding the school-yard. Mac looked down at Adam's blue-laced sneakers then back at his face. Mac leaned backwards tipping his head and looked at Adam's jacket slung over the back of his chair and his satchel style bag leaning against the desk. Then he looked back at the screen. Adam waited but Mac said nothing so he turned to look at the rest of the team standing in the room.

"It's not me!" he whimpered.

"Don't worry Adam. We know it's not you but he's gone to a lot of trouble to make it look like you. The question is why? And does the chess piece refer to you, Danny or Lindsay?" Mac shook his head as he looked at the surveillance image taken outside of Lucy's school the previous day. The school had been put on alert and the teachers were being extra vigilant but Mac didn't like the idea that someone had been able to get to his god-daughter. He didn't like the way that the person was playing with his team distracting them from their work with these games. He felt it was all building up to something but he had no idea what. "_Could this all be to get at Mac?_" Mac pondered Danny's words from the previous evening but somehow he felt that this wasn't really to do with him.

Mac turned to face everyone. "I need you all to go over the evidence again. There has to be something. We can't just sit and wait for this guy to make the next move." Everyone nodded hoping that what Mac said was true. "_You're never out of evidence._"

'.'

_'CSI - NY'_

'.'

Several hours later, armed with files, reports, and coffee Mac stood alone in the conference room. He had ordered everyone home. They had just closed two major cases but there was still evidence to process in two others and he didn't want them wasting precious down-time on this. At least not yet.

He stared at the perspex boards with the various 'victims'. Jody, the spaniel, the rook. Sid, the corpse, the bishop. Don, the flowers, the knight. Danny, Lindsay & Lucy, 'Adam', the knight. Sheldon, the mannequin, the bishop.

Four minor pieces and two major pieces, only the King and Queen missing and no pawns. Mac sighed. He felt like a pawn being pushed forward but to what end. Crowning or capture? The pieces were a distraction. Focus on the evidence, he told himself. He started at the first board. So far the person behind this hadn't killed anyone nor did it appear that that was his intention. Sid had confirmed that Jodie's dog had been killed with a single blow to the head probably from a rock. Jo had talked to Jodie again and discovered that there was a rock missing from the rockery on her front lawn. Sid had lifted some fibres from the dog's mouth that Sheldon had identified as denim. So the dog had tried to bite him, got a mouthful of denim trouser and been hit over the head. Perhaps something he hadn't anticipated? An accident? But he'd taken the rock away with him. Why? Because he knew there was evidence on it.

Mac moved on to the next victim. John Rudolph Renfrew. How did the perp know that this was Sid's first case? He must have known about Sid's garden. He must know Sid personally. These were things that couldn't be found in personnel files. Some who works at the lab? But he'd been through the personnel files of the staff at the lab. Nothing stood out. Personnel?

Bruce Guthrie worked for human resources. Don had managed to speak to Bruce who looked like he was going to make it but it was going to be a long road to recovery. Bruce had confirmed coming back to find his car damaged with acid. He had found the chess piece dangling from the rear-view mirror but he had been more concerned about getting to his grandmother. He hadn't even considered that the acid could have damaged the controls. It was an accident because normally he wouldn't have driven the car until the weekend or perhaps not at all. Perhaps the perp thought Bruce would just get it repaired before driving it. Mac sighed. The repairs would cost a fortune but then Bruce wouldn't be driving again for a very long time.

Mac studied the flowers. They could have been bought from any shop. The ribbon was standard. No trace, nothing. Why put them on Jess's grave? Something to do with Jess? Or the fact that she was Don's girlfriend?

Mac moved on. Sheldon's dummy, as it was now known! Mac had to smile at the amount of ribbing Sheldon was getting from the lab techs. The 'knife' was wooden, hand made to resemble the ones they used in reconstruction. Mac had a thought and turned to look at the chess pieces. Hand-made. Perhaps that was why Adam couldn't find a source? The perp was making them himself!

Mac's anger flared as he looked at the picture of 'Adam' outside Lucy's school. This guy was taunting them. Okay so he hadn't hurt Lucy but he had used her and that made him angry. However his anger soon subsided as he recalled her giggles at his questioning. She had enjoyed his guessing game about her mysterious visitor. He asked her if she'd had a good day at school and she told him how she'd fallen out with her 'best friend'. Mac suggested that maybe her friend was jealous because she hadn't been given a present too. "_It wasn't a present. It was evidence._" She announced importantly. Then he'd made up names for the mysterious visitor. George with the long moustache. "_No silly he had a beard._" Fred with the pointy black shoes. "_No silly he had sneakers with blue laces!_" He'd had everything he'd needed within a few minutes and for once he was glad that she chosen Old Bear. He could almost recite it from memory.

'.'

_'CSI - NY'_

'.'

_Rowan Leech pushed his way through the set of plastic protective panels and sat down at the work-bench. He took a bite of burger and threw it down on the box ignoring the ketchup that dripped onto the edge. He flipped a switch to turn on the variable speed scroll saw and picked up the sheet of plywood that had now dried. He smiled as he turned it over and pushed it towards the saw. Somehow this was the most satisfying part of his plan. As he twisted and turned the wood his smile got wider as the saw cut through the photograph._

**''  
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	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Oh gosh you guys are great! Thank you for leaving me reviews and a first-time reviewer too! I'm honoured. But seriously reviews really make an author's day. Am just so glad the story is still making sense! ;-) And now to the last two 'victims' ... though they may not necessarily be who you are thinking they are! (_Evil grin_). That would be too obvious. And a few more clues as to the identity of our resident villain! At least our hero has worked it out ... well almost ... and with that I wish you all a great weekend. Concluding chapters next week!  
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**Chapter 7**

Jo Danville hadn't been able to sleep so she'd got up early, prepared breakfast, argued with Ellie about the importance of eating a good breakfast for the third time that week and then left for the office. As she stepped out onto the 35th floor she was irritated to see Jodie hovering outside Mac's office. Her eyes narrowed as she watched Jodie smooth down her rather short skirt and check her lipstick in the glass. Jo walked towards her. As Jodie caught sight of her, her eyes flashed before a fake smile plastered itself on her face.

"Good morning Jo. I was just looking for Mac. I need his signature on these purchase orders _toute suite_! I thought he might be in his office but ..." Jo glanced at Mac's office. The computer was fired up, the lights were on and his coat was hanging on the stand so he was definitely in the building. Sheldon came walking down the hall from the direction of the locker rooms. As Jo was about to suggest that Jodie leave the file on his desk, Jodie jumped in. "Ah Sheldon! Have you seen Mac? I really need his signature on these." She waved the folder at him. The tone of her voice made Jo's hackles rise.

"Er no..." answered Sheldon looking as though he was facing a cobra about to strike. "But … er … his suit is hanging on his locker so I guess he won't be long. He's probably in the gym. I can take them ..."

Jodie's eyes widened. "The gym?" she purred, her smile widening like the Cheshire cat.

Jo had had enough. She snatched the folder from Jodie's hands and flashed her a smile. "I'll give them to him and get them back to you straight-away. Save you the trip. I know how busy you are." Jodie's smile disappeared as Jo whirled around and pressed the button for the elevator. Much to her surprise the elevator doors opened immediately and Jo jumped in and hit two buttons, one for Jodie's floor and the other for the gym. Jo held the doors open for Jody who was scowling at Jo. Jo noticed Sheldon staring at them open-mouthed as the elevator doors closed. She winked. As the elevator arrived at Jodie's floor, Jo held the "Door open" button for her. Jodie had no choice but to step out. Jo hit "Door close." She flipped open the file and glanced at the purchase orders for gloves and swabs. "Urgent huh?" That woman was getting to be a nuisance but then Jo grinned; she had been meaning to check out the building's new gym for while now and there was no time like the present!

The blue carpeted area in front of the building's new gym was pristine. There was comfortable seating for a dozen people, some high tables and stools, and several vending machines along one wall next to doors to the changing rooms. The right hand wall was glass and Jo could see a wide variety of exercise equipment. Only one machine was in use by a young woman whose pony-tail bounced up and down as she padded along on the treadmill. Jo looked down the corridor to her right. She passed the room with the exercise machines and came to a room with weights. There were a couple of guys working out, one of whom smiled at her as she passed. She smiled back thinking that perhaps she had missed Mac until a sound caught her attention. Mixed in with the drone of a news channel from the television positioned high up on the wall was a regular smacking sound in groups of three. The cadence of the sound changed and got faster until it became almost constant. Jo walked up to the last of the three rooms. She stopped and watched as Mac slammed his gloved fists into the punching bag. His back was to her. His body was tense and his biceps flexed with each thrust. His light grey vest was dark with sweat where it clung to his body and Jo could hear him panting as he worked away the tension and frustration that had built up within him. She held her breath memorized by his movements until his concentration was broken by the ringing of his cell phone. He gave the bag one more punch and steadied it before stepping away. Still with his back to her he reached down to the floor to scoop up a towel and fling it around his neck. He answered the phone squashing it between his ear and shoulder and indicated that he would there in fifteen minutes as he ripped open the Velcro tabs on his gloves and pulled them off. He grabbed the phone and turned. He froze as he saw Jo leaning nonchalantly against the door-frame, with a huge smile on her face, wafting herself gently with a manilla folder.

Twenty minutes later Jo stepped out onto the 35th floor for the second time that morning having had the pleasure of gloating as she had placed the signed documents in front of Jodie. Sheldon was standing outside Mac's office with his arms folded. He grinned when he saw her. "Mission accomplished?" he asked.

Jo rolled her eyes. "That woman is getting to be a nuisance." she huffed as she glanced through the glass and saw Mac talking to a young woman with long fair hair. She was handing Mac an envelope. At that moment Jo wished she had learned to lip-read as whatever was being said looked serious. Mac looked into the envelope. "Who is that?" she asked Sheldon, feeling she should know the woman.

"Sinclair's assistant, Sylvia." Hawkes whispered. "I wonder what's in the envelope." As Sylvia walked away, Mac raised his head and indicated for them to join him. "Guess we're about to find out."

Sheldon and Jo stepped into Mac's office. "Sheldon close the door!"

"What's up Mac?" Sheldon walked over to Mac's desk as Mac pulled on a pair of gloves and pulled a piece of paper from the envelope. He showed it to Sheldon.

"Whoa! That's a copy of the letter accusing Sinclair of sexual harassment. I thought that case was dropped?" Sheldon frowned at Mac as he slid the letter in an evidence bag. Jo looked at them both in surprise.

Mac reached back into the envelope. "So did I! This was in the post this morning." He pulled a chess piece from the bag. A king! Jo couldn't have been more surprised. She had been convinced that the king would be last and that it would be sent to Mac. But then Sinclair was his boss. She was just wondering who might receive the queen when Mac's phone rang. He glanced at the display and smiled as he recognized the number. He opened his mouth to say hello but no sound came out. A woman's voice could be clearly heard at the other end of the line. She was evidently agitated. Mac listened and attempted to speak but was unable to get a word in edgeways. After a while the voice calmed down and Mac was able to say:

"Yes I know. A queen. And it was posted here in New York!" The voice at the other end of the phone was clearly surprised as were Jo and Sheldon.

"Everyone here has got one too ... No although Sid's one was a little more gruesome. He dug up the body from Sid's first autopsy." Mac glanced up at Sheldon and arched an eyebrow. "Yeah he got one too – clasped in the hand of a mannequin stabbed to death in Central Park. Don's was wrapped in flowers on Jess's grave." This elicited a shout of indignation from the caller. "Danny and Lindsay's piece was given to Lucy by someone disguised as Adam … and before you ask she's fine." Mac ran his hand down the back of his hair as he listened. "No I haven't. The king was sent to Sinclair although what's puzzling me in the inclusion of Jody Grigson and Bruce Guthrie. They both got rooks. ... I have no idea but I'll let you know." Mac finished the call by assuring her everything was all right and he'd let her know what was going on as soon as possible. He hung up the phone.

Sheldon looked at him. "Stella?" he asked. Mac nodded.

"With a dead rat in a box." Mac looked grim.

"What the hell? A rat?" Jo's face creased up in horror.

Mac nodded. "We had a case several years ago where Stella was sent a dead rat as a warning to lay off a case. "

Sheldon looked shocked. "What the hell does this guy want?"

Mac picked up the king and thought for moment. "I've no idea but let's ask him."

Jo's eyes opened wide. "You know who it is?"

Mac grimaced. "Not exactly but I do know it can only be one of eight people. Let's go find Adam."

'.'

_'CSI - NY'_

'.'

_Adam Ross opened his eyes and blinked. His head was pounding and he felt sick. He looked around the abandoned bar. It was musty and smelt of stale beer. The floor was filthy and only a few broken tables and chairs remained. All the other fittings had been removed, and the pictures had left grey patches on the dirty walls but Adam still recognized it. Slowly he raised himself up to a sitting position and turned around. "Why?" he asked. _

_Rowan Leech smiled at him and took a swig from the beer bottle wiping at the drips that ran down his chin with his sleeve before banging the bottle down on a table. He leaned forward in his chair and sneered at Adam. "Because you weren't supposed to be there! It was supposed to be me!" Then Rowan Leech slowly lifted the gun and pointed it at Adam._

**.**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Thank you all for reading and leaving me a review. Just a short chapter in which our hero gets closer to the identity of our villain and Adam gets an insight into why! For those who are wondering the plot follows on from Season 5 Episode 4 Sex, Lies and Silicone (Sinclair & the sexual harassement case), Episode 5 The Cost of Living (the opening of the arc with Stella and Diakos) , Episode 6 Enough (in which Adam gets told he's being laid off) and Episode 7 Dead Inside (in which Stella receives the rat as a warning).  
><strong>

**Chapter 8**

Mac grabbed his cell phone from his desk and hit the speed dial. It was answered on the third ring. "Don? Where are you?" Mac waved at Danny and Lindsay to come in. "I need you to get over to Adam's place. He's not here and we can't get an answer on his cell but it shows he's at home … good … call me as soon as you're there!"

"Mac what's going on?" Lindsay felt her stomach turn at the urgency in Mac's voice. "What's happened to Adam?" She didn't get an answer as Jo rushed into the room, her arms full of files.

"Okay I've got them. The lab assistants intake for 2005 to 2007." Jo threw the files on the table and opened the first one to the summary sheet. A photograph of a young dark-haired woman was pinned to the inner cover. "Anna Hill, who is no longer working for the NYPD." She opened the second showing a young black man with an infectious grin. "Greg Hopkins, also no longer working for the NYPD." The third was another young man with short blond hair and a worried expression. "Jeff Ryerson, no longer working for the NYPD." Jo frowned as she looked quickly over at Mac. She rapidly opened the other files showing another two women and four men. The last file belonged to Adam. "Mac out of those year's intake only Adam is still working for us."

Mac nodded as he sorted through the files. " Greg transferred to Boston. Anna left a few months ago when she got married. With the exception of Adam most of the others were all made redundant during the budget cuts."

"Whoa! You think it's one of them?" asked Danny.

Mac nodded. "It all fits. It has to be someone who knows us well but someone who worked with us before Jo joined us." He paused to look at them. "Stella received the queen in a box with a dead rat." Lindsay gasped. "Very few people knew about that. And then there's Sid. During induction week, Sid gives a tour of autopsy to the new lab staff in which he tells them about his first autopsy, John Rudolph Renfrew, during which both of his assistants passed out. It's supposed to put them at ease. It has to have been someone who's been through induction week and someone who has a knowledge of anatomy." Mac paused.

"Then there's Sheldon's dummy and the replica knife so it has to be someone who knew about Sheldon working the park's medical unit. Also someone who knows you and Lindsay and Lucy; and someone who, with a disguise, could pass for Adam. Most importantly it has to be someone with a grudge against Sinclair, Jodie and Bruce. What do they have in common? Sinclair gave orders for the budget cuts, Jodie is the financial controller who suggested the staff to be cut and Bruce was the HR manager who did the deed so to speak."

"So this is all about losing his job?" asked Lindsay astounded. "But that was four years ago? Why now?"

"That's a good question." Mac finished sorting the files. He pushed six files to one side, the three women, Greg Hopkins, Ang Lee Nguyen and Adam's. "I want to concentrate on these four : Jeff Ryerson, Mike Tomlin, Sam Brewer and Rowan Leech. Find out everything there is to know about them." He held out the files to Danny and Lindsay.

"What I don't understand Mac is why us and why you haven't been included? I mean you're the boss. You'd think he'd be pissed at you? If it was me I'd be pissed at you." Jo had to smile at Danny as Mac arched an eyebrow.

"Would you send me chess pieces?" asked Mac. Danny looked startled at the question . A range of expressions crossed his face as he thought about the question. Then he looked at Mac and grinned.

"Nah, I just shoot ya!"

'.'

_'CSI - NY'_

'.'

Don Flack hammered on Adam's door. "Yo Adam, open up it's Flack!" No answer. Don turned to the building's superintendent, a short heavy-set man in t-shirt that was two sizes too small and had 'Hot Stuff' emblazoned across his chest. "Please open it." The super thumbed through a set of keys and opened the door before walking away without a word. Flack shrugged. "Obviously the chatty type." He entered the apartment. "Adam?" The place was pretty messy even by Adam's standards but what stood out on the table that, judging by the marks on the floor, had been pulled to the centre of the room, was a large cardboard box tied with string. Don eyed it nervously as he checked the rest of the apartment. No sign of Adam. He dug out his cell and called Mac and told him about the box.

"You want me to open it?" he asked incredulously. "What if it's a bomb?"

Mac raised his eyebrows as he sat on the sofa next to Jo. "Flack it's not a bomb. I suspect that you will find it's a jigsaw puzzle." Mac couldn't help but smile at Jo's look of astonishment. "Yes I want you to put it together and tell me what it is. Call me when you've done." Mac ended the call without a word.

"How on earth ..."

"...did I know it was a puzzle? Because it would have to mean something special to me. Something that I would understand. He wants to prove that he knows me."

Jo thought for a moment. "If he knows you all so well how come we don't know him?"

Mac looked at her for a minute. "Precisely!"

'.'

_'CSI - NY'_

'.'

_Rowan Leech reached for the beer bottle and took another swig. "You had no idea did you?" he snarled as Adam shuffled around and propped himself against the wall. His head was pounding. He wondered what Rowan had put in the beer. So much for 'the friendly drink and catch up on old times'. This was definitely not what Adam had in mind. He wished he could have thought of an excuse when Rowan asked him over the other night but he'd said yes and now look at the mess he was in. Why couldn't he have said no?. "No idea at all. I was as good as you. Better. And I've proved it." Rowan swung the bottle back to the table almost missing it. The alcohol was beginning to go to his head._

"_What do you want?" asked Adam feeling nauseous. _

"_Want?" Rowan waved the gun in his direction making Adam flinch. "I want my life back! You ruined it. You took everything from me and you didn't even know it." Adam frowned. Rowan didn't seem to be making sense. How had he or any of the others ruined Rowan's life? But the flood-gates had opened and all the misery and self-pity came pouring out._

"_She was supposed to be my supervisor. I even helped process that stupid rat for her. And all I got was a standard reference letter … a competent laboratory technician!" His voice was heavily laced with sarcasm as he spat out every word. "You think that helped me get a job? Huh? And Hammerback … he wouldn't even consider my application for mortuary technician. Said I didn't have the stomach for it. I had qualifications – biology, anatomy, biochemistry … I could have done it. Well I showed him! Him and his silly story about John Rudolph Renfrew. Right in the middle of his precious garden!"_

_Rowan reached for the beer again and gulped more down. Adam thought he was done as he shifted uncomfortably on the cold tiled floor. Rowan drained the beer and threw the bottle at Adam who cowered as the glass shattered onto his head and back._

"_Do you know how much extra work I did when she was pregnant huh? Not a word of thanks. And as for the great Danny Messer … well he just pushed all the boring jobs my way while he got all the glory. Detective Daniel Messer. And his beautiful wife Lindsay and his lovely baby daughter Lucy. The perfect family. The talk of the department. And he couldn't even get my name right! … Ryan! … Well he'll get it right now!" Rowan's voice got higher and louder driven by the hate and the anger. He scowled as he reached for another bottle of beer from a cooler on the floor but then his face suddenly took on a softer look. "She was so pretty. She deserved flowers. She really was an angel. She always smiled at me but he … nooo ... he never even looked. It was like I was invisible. Just another lab rat." Rowan popped the top off the beer and laughed."He was right there in front of me at the cemetery. He looked straight at me and he didn't even recognize me. Bet you didn't recognize me either when you looked at the surveillance camera did you? Bet everyone thought it was you...! You!" Rowan watched the water trickle down the side of the bottle and drip onto his filthy trousers. He rubbed at his face with a dirty sleeve._

_Adam could barely hear him as he spoke his voice taking on a dreamy far-away tone. "He was the only one who cared. He stood up for us. He fought with Sinclair for us. He'll understand. We all make mistakes. He'll see that he made a mistake and he'll take me back like it was before." Rowan suddenly snapped his head up and looked at Adam, his eyes glittering with hatred. "When you're gone!"_

**.**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Okay here's the last chapter before the showdown! Please read my profile for the full disclaimer but as an addition and in answer to Nexis44 - definitely no ressemblence to any known living sports personalities, coaches or otherwise - pure coincidence! :-) Please R&R.  
><strong>

**Chapter 9**

Don Flack muttered and cursed. "Bloody puzzles!" He thumped the last recalcitrant piece in place with his fist and grabbed his cell phone. "Mac? It's a photograph. There are eight people sitting in a bar, raising their glasses in a toast. I think they're all lab techs. Adam's there sitting next to that dark haired girl who left to get married. Anna! There's the guy who transferred to Boston, Greg what's-his-name. There's Six-Pack Sam and several other lab rats…" Don broke off as Mac spoke and then burst out : "What? You want me break it up and bring it back?" After all that effort he had to pull it apart. Don hung up but not before swearing. "Bloody puzzles!"

Mac couldn't help a small smile and hit the off button on the speaker phone. "Guess he doesn't like puzzles." He turned to Sheldon. "Are you sure?" Sheldon nodded. "Okay." Mac reached into his drawer and pulled out a small leather pouch. Sheldon led the way. Curious, Jo followed Sheldon and Mac to the locker room. Mac stepped up to Adam's locker and looked at the padlock. He opened the leather pouch and pulled out two fine metal lock picks and proceeded to open the lock.

Jo watched in amazement. "Where the hell did you learn to do that?"

Mac shifted uncomfortably. "You don't want to know," he muttered as he slipped the last tumbler.

"Thirty-seven seconds." Jo looked at Sheldon. "You're out of practise." Mac shot him a dirty look but before Jo could ask on what occasion Sheldon had timed Mac before, Mac slipped the lock off the clasp and opened the locker. Sheldon pointed to the door. "Told ya." There on the inside door was a photograph identical to the one on the puzzle. Mac pulled it off and they all made their way to the AV lab where Mac handed Lindsay the photograph which she scanned and enlarged. Lindsay transferred the picture to the large screen.

Jo stepped up to the screen and started on the left. "This is one of the guys we're interested in. Jeff Ryerson ..." She turned to look at Danny who was consulting his notes.

"Okay after he left us he got a job at Robertson Research but he transferred to their L.A. Office last year. The guy on his right is Greg Hopkins who transferred to Boston PD. He's still there and is now a fully-fledged CSI."

Lindsay picked up the relay. "The girl sitting next to him is Lisa Smith who is now married to the guy with his arm around her shoulder Sam Brewer, our second suspect." She pointed to the next man in the picture, a jovial looking guy with a round face and stomach to match. "She's expecting their second child and Sam is working at a brewery upstate." She laughed. "Why am I not surprised with a name like that?" Danny grinned at her and they both chimed "The Christmas party! Six-Pack Sam!"

Jo pointed to a man standing at the back of the group with his arms on the back of the seats. "Who's this?"

"That's Mike … Mike Tomlin." Danny looked at his notes. " He's working for a cosmetics testing facility in Brooklyn. I find it hard to imagine he'd be doing this. Always seemed a really down-to-earth, straight-up guy but he is similar in height and build to Adam."

"No." Mac's voice was cold and hard. "It's this guy." Mac pointed to a man on the edge of the picture, leaning in towards the girl he had earlier identified as Anna Hill so as not to be cut out of the photograph. "His name is Rowan Leech."

Danny looked at his notes. "Yeah. I've been having trouble finding him. It seems he was evicted from his apartment a few months after he left the lab. Since then nothing. No known address. No DMV entry. I've checked power and phone companies but there's nothing. Didn't he work trace with Adam?" Danny looked at Mac. He looked sick to his stomach. Jo put her hand on his shoulder. Mac turned to look at her.

"I should have known. He's been telling me all along. Why didn't I see it?" Mac walked over to the desk and picked up Rowan Leech's file and ran his hand through his hair.

"So how are going to find this guy?" As usual Sheldon cut to the heart of the problem. Mac turned back to look at the picture.

"We need to find where this picture was taken?"

Danny rocked back on heels. "Come on Mac. You've gotta be kiddin' me. You don't think that he'd be this obvious do you?"

"Yes I do." Without further explanation Mac picked up his cell and scrolled through the numbers. Mac's face broke into a smile as the call was answered. "I'm fine but I need your help. Anna, its really important. I need to know where a photograph of you was taken. It's a bar – wooden tables, red leather seats, tiled floor. You're sitting between Adam and Rowan Leech. Sam and Lisa are there, together with Jeff and Greg. Mike Tomlin's standing in the background and ..." Mac broke off and listened for a moment and then turned to Lindsay who was seated at the computer terminal. "Arroco's? Lower East Side." Lindsay nodded and started the search. "Okay thank you Anna! ... Yes, you were right. It was him at the wedding. … it's nothing to worry about! … I will, I promise!" He returned the phone to his pocket.

Lindsay looked at Mac for a moment. "Does this have something to do with Anna Hill?" Mac nodded and took a deep breath as he leaned over her shoulder looking at the results of the search.

"Anna and Rowan used to date but they split up when he left the lab. Anna continued here until she met one of Adam's friends James Helbert, a medical sales rep. She left us a few weeks ago just before they got married. I remember her being a little upset at the wedding because she thought she'd seen Rowan hanging about at the back of the church. Adam and I had a look around but there was no sign of him so I didn't give it another thought."

Danny screwed up his face. He looked as surprised at the rest of the team. "You … and … Adam … went to Anna Hill's wedding?"

Mac nodded as he glanced at the results of the search noting the address. "Mm mm." He said absent-mindedly, his thoughts with the map on the screen. "I gave her away." He straightened up as he found what he wanted. "Right, Jo you're with me. The rest of you wait here."

Danny was so astonished that he couldn't speak for a moment. He ran out onto the hall after Mac and Jo. "But Mac ..."

Mac turned around and stopped. Putting a hand on Danny's shoulder, he said quietly. "You can't come Danny. Not this time! None of you can." Danny watched them leave and realizing what Mac meant turned back to the AV lab. As he looked at the picture of Rowan leaning towards Anna, he murmured. "I didn't even know Anna was getting married. Why is he doing this?" Lindsay put her hand on his arm. Danny looked at her as she shook her head. "I mean what have we done to him? It's not like we really even knew him." Sheldon looked pensive.

"Maybe, that's the problem." Danny and Lindsay looked at him. "Each of the 'crimes' he's committed, he was trying to tell us who he was and what we've '_done_'. The dummy in the park with the knife in it? It's what I used during induction week to explain our procedures in the field. I remember getting Rowan to process and, of course, it was traditional to sabotage the gloves ..." Sheldon broke off looking a little embarrassed as he remembered how mortified Rowan had looked and how the others at laughed at his expense. "Perhaps if I'd known him better I would have chosen someone else who would have seen the funny side ..."

Danny looked at the floor. "I guess you're right. I don't remember much about the guy to be honest other than you never knew which way the wind was blowing with him. Most of the time he was quiet and withdrawn and then suddenly he would be completely over the top. Always reminded me of a kid I knew at school ... Ryan Cheevers ... I wonder became of him."

"But why go after Adam? Because we managed to save Adam's job?" Sheldon and Danny turned to look at her. Lindsay continued. "I remember that we each gave up a week's holiday to give Adam more time. I know Mac spent a lot of time on the budget to try and keep the staff. He must have somehow fixed the budget to keep Adam and Anna on even if the others had to go. I know he helped Greg transfer to Boston."

Danny shook his head. "The others got jobs eventually. And look at Sam and Lisa!" Lindsay had to laugh. "Six-Pack Sam working in a brewery! Now if that isn't his dream job?"

"Hey Guys! Where's Mac?" Flack walked in and dumped the puzzle box on the table looking frustrated but he then stared at the photograph in surprise. "Here's his damn puzzle … hey where did you get the photo?"

Sheldon smiled. "Adam's locker!" Don thought for a second then looked suspiciously at Sheldon.

"How long?"

"Thirty-seven seconds." Sheldon laughed as Don punched at the air in triumph. "Don't worry your record still stands. I think he's a little out of practise."

Don looked very pleased with himself but before Danny and Lindsay could ask what that was all about Don stuck his hand in his pocket. "Oh by the way Doc, I found this on the floor in Adam's apartment." He handed Sheldon a box of pills. Sheldon's smile disappeared from his face as he looked at the packet in his hand.

"Lithium carbonate?" Sheldon turned to look at Rowan Leech's file and then at Danny. "It doesn't say anything here. You mentioned mood swings?" Danny nodded. Sheldon grabbed the phone and dialled Mac's number. "Come on … pick up ... pick up ... Mac? You need to be careful. Leech was taking lithium carbonate. Yes, among other things it's used to treat mania, the elevated phase of bipolar disorder. Discontinuation of lithium can result in heightened anxiety, irritability and mood swings but if he's stopped suddenly it could trigger a manic or depressive relapse ... Okay but be careful. Rowan could be very unpredictable."

Don looked at Sheldon. "Please tell me he hasn't gone on his own?"

"Jo's gone with him and I heard him calling for back-up on silent approach." Danny looked unhappy as Don continued.

"And we are not there because …?"

"Because it's Mac he wants to see." Everyone turned to look at Lindsay. "Rowan is mad at us. Our presence would only make things worse."

"What?" spluttered Don. "I don't even know the guy."

Lindsay looked at him patiently. "Don, we've all received a chess piece … a warning … except for Mac. Rowan is jealous of Adam. He lost his job. He was evicted from his apartment. He doesn't seem to have found either a new job or a new place to live. He's just seen his girlfriend marry someone else. And he blames us. All of us ..."

"But not Mac …?"

"No I think … or at least I think Mac thinks … that Rowan believes Mac can somehow fix it. That's why he sent chess pieces, the puzzle … he wanted to show us how clever he is."

"Clever?" Don blurted out. "The guy's a burger short of a Happy Meal! He dug up a body, killed a dog, put a man in hospital, and kidnapped Adam. He's been playing games with us for over a week. And you're telling me that this is all because this guy couldn't pull his life together after he lost his job? That he blames us for that and now he thinks Mac can fix it?"

"Don, I don't like it any more than you but we gotta let Mac handle this one." Danny looked at his friend, the sick feeling in his stomach matching the one on Don's face. "It's gonna be fine. You'll see!"

'.'

_'CSI - NY'_

'.'

_Adam Ross had a bad feeling as he stared at his former colleague and friend across the room. Friend? Was he a friend? They'd had a few drinks together but he had never really got to know him. It was difficult to get to know people when they were so busy, so many cases. Adam looked carefully at the man opposite. In way they looked similar. Same height. Same weight - Rowan had put on a lot of weight since he left the lab. He had the same colour hair which was longer and he now sported a beard not unlike the one Adam had. Adam watched as Rowan lay his head on his arm and traced patterns in the condensation on the side of the beer bottle with the tip of the revolver in his hand and muttered to himself under his breath. Adam swallowed. His mouth was dry and every muscle in his body protested at sitting on the cold hard floor. He attempted to relief his discomfort by adjusting his position. At least Rowan had stopped shouting at him and throwing bottles or waving the gun around but Adam couldn't shake the bad feeling in the pit of his stomach as they both jumped at the sound of a knock on the door._

**.**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: And now for the end game ...  
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**Chapter 10**

Jo Danville was not a happy woman. As soon as Mac informed her that Rowan Leech was suffering from bi-polar disorder and had potentially stopped taking his medication, he had ordered his back-up officers and herself to positions around the empty bar with instructions only to intervene on his say-so. He had then quietly walked up to the door, knocked politely and gone in closing the door behind him. She understood why had he had gone, why he had ordered the others away. He didn't want to provoke the young man. That wasn't what she was unhappy about. She was unhappy because Mac was unarmed and he wasn't wearing a vest and despite his protestations that Rowan didn't want to hurt anybody she couldn't shake a feeling that Mac had made a grave mistake.

Jo peered down the alley. It was silent and empty. She moved as quietly as possible keeping close to the wall followed by two uniformed officers. She counted the doors as she went past. One, two, three, four. There was only a window with opaque glass so she couldn't see in. She tried the handle but the door wouldn't budge. It was bolted from the inside. She gestured to one of the men accompanying her to try to reach the pull-down fire escape. He nodded and, with help from his colleague, he managed to lower it but not without making a loud rattle. Jo winced. She held her finger to her earplug as the two officers looked at her in fright. She could still hear Mac speaking quietly to the young man inside so she indicated that it was okay and slowly she followed them up the ladder. As they reached the second floor the lead officer tried the sash window but it wouldn't budge. He gestured to Jo. _Window lock._ Jo shook her head and indicated that they should proceed to the next floor hoping that if they had to break a window it wouldn't be heard from downstairs. However, as they approached the next window and discovered another window lock, Jo's face took on a look of panic. Again she pressed her finger to the ear-plug. "Break it! We have to go now!" The officer nodded and placed a piece of sacking against the window. His colleague hit it with the butt of his gun and the glass smashed. It was then that the gunshot could be clearly heard from inside the building. Jo lifted the microphone mounted on the wire of her phone.

"Mac? Mac?" There was no answer. Static filled her ear before the phone bleeped indicating that the connection had been lost. "Go!" The two officers climbed in through the window and moved as quickly as they could to the stairs. Jo's heart pounded as she followed them. The two officers burst in through the glass doors, weapons raised, their heads flicking side to side as they evaluated the situation. Jo ran in after them, her heart stopping as she took in the scene in front of her.

The two officers moved quickly over to their suspect, one of them kicking away the gun that had fallen from his hand. But Rowan Leech didn't even look up at them. He just rocked back and forth keening to himself. Jo ran over to Adam who was kneeling beside Mac. He lifted his horrified eyes to her face.

"He jumped in front of me." He began shakily. "He wasn't aiming for him." Adam looked down at Mac. "He shouldn't have done that. He shouldn't have done that." Tears filled her eyes as Jo sank to the ground beside him. Mac's face was screwed up in agony. His right hand clutched to the left side of his chest as blood seeped slowly through his fingers and his breaths came in short pants as he tried to compartmentalize the pain.

"Mac? Oh my God Mac, what have you done?" Jo was vaguely aware of the officers in the background calling for EMS, their calls of "Officer down" echoing in her ears.

'.'

_'CSI - NY'_

'.'

Don Flack pulled the small paper coffee cup from the machine and stared at it lost in thought. Slowly he turned around and joined Danny and Lindsay as they sat in the dull, nondescript waiting area. He looked at Jo as she sat with her arm around Adam whose face was as white as the wall he was sitting next to. The poor kid looked as though his world had come to an end. Don had known that this was going to end badly. He sipped at the insipid-tasting coffee. He didn't really know why he had even got it. He didn't really want it. It just gave him something to do while they waited. And from Jo's description of the scene, they were going to be in for a long wait and he wasn't sure he wanted to know the outcome.

Suddenly the doors to the surgical block opened and Sheldon walked out. He laughed as he shook the surgeon's hand and turned to face them all with a huge grin on his face. Everyone stared at him like he'd grown a second head. Why would he be laughing?

"Okay so the surgery went well. They removed the bullet and we can see him in about an hour when he's settled." Sheldon announced. No one said a word as they continued to stare at him. Sheldon looked at them each in turn. He spoke slowly so that everyone could understand. "He's going to be fine."

Danny was the first to get over his surprise. He glared at Jo and Adam. "But you said that he was shot..." He didn't finish his sentence as he pointed to his own heart.

Sheldon laughed. "Hey this is Mac Taylor we're talking about. The man with nine lives, two hearts ..." Everyone stared at him. "... and ..." Sheldon held up a small black object in his hand. "... a life-saving cell phone."

"What the hell?" Don stared at the phone in Sheldon's hand. "The bullet went through the phone."

Sheldon nodded. "Mac had put it in his top pocket so Jo could hear better. As Mac was obviously moving at the time, the bullet ricocheted off the back plate, ploughed through the pectoral muscle narrowly missing the sub-clavian artery and clipping the left lung. According to Dr Forrester the density of the muscle together with a significant amount of existing scar tissue from a previous injury was enough to slow it before it did too much damage. Trust Mac to get shot twice in the same place" Sheldon grinned at them all. "So how about we all grab a drink and a bite to eat before we give Mac hell for scaring the shit out of us."

Two hours later, Mac managed to open an eye. He had already worked out that he was in hospital. The smells, the sounds, the nasal cannula and the feeling of having tubes going where tubes shouldn't go were a dead give-away. The nice floating feeling was beginning to wear off and he was having a little deja-vu moment as he recalled the same agonising burning feeling from many years before. As he managed to get two eyes open and get them both to focus the first thing he saw was Jo's face. She didn't look happy. Turning his head slightly he noticed Danny, Lindsay and Sheldon. They didn't look happy either. He opened his mouth to say something.

"The first word that comes out of your mouth had better start with an S." Jo hissed.

Mac looked at her. He could see the tension in her body and the tears glistening in her eyes. He hesitated for a second before offering a small smile. "So … is Adam okay?" Everyone glared at him.

"What?" he croaked. Lindsay handed him a glass of water with that look that mothers usually reserve for naughty children. Suddenly Mac had a horrible feeling something had gone wrong. His heart rate soared. Fortunately Sheldon who had been looking at the monitors picked up on it.

"Calm down Mac. Adam's fine. Just a little shell-shocked at having a friend attempt to shoot him … and an even better friend jump in front of a bullet for him. Don's taken him home." Mac sighed with relief.

"And Rowan?"

Sheldon's voice was quiet as he laid a hand on Mac's arm. "He's been taken to the psych ward for evaluation. He didn't cause any trouble. I think he's was so horrified at what he had done that he's retreated into a shell. He hasn't said a word." Mac lay back on the pillows and closed his eyes. Sheldon gently removed the cup from his hand. "Get some rest Mac. I'll come by tomorrow." Mac nodded his thanks. He suddenly felt exhausted. He badly miscalculated the whole situation. When he'd walked in there he had been sure that he could talk to Rowan. He hadn't expected Rowan to have been drinking and worst of all he hadn't expected him to have a gun.

_Mac closed the door to the bar behind him and slowly walked into the room. He made a quick survey of the layout and then looked down at Adam propped against the wall. Mac frowned slightly as he took in his pale features and the glass shards over the floor and his clothes. He was however relieved to find the young man unharmed and he offered him a reassuring smile. Mac turned his attention to Rowan, his eyes widening in surprise at the sight of the revolver in his hand. Rowan's eyes glittered dangerously and it was at that moment Mac knew he had made a mistake. However, his face showed nothing as he greeted Rowan._

"_I knew you'd come. You got my message? The puzzle? I knew you'd understand. You always understood. Each piece of the puzzle is important even the small ones. Pawns are important too. They form the first line of defence … but ultimately they are disposable." Rowan was rambling, his words came tumbling out making sense only to him. Mac berated himself as he recalled once talking with the young man about his passion for the game and how his carpenter father had made him his first set. He should have known. Dammit._

"_How can I help you Rowan?" Adam stared at Mac as he addressed his former employee in a calm soothing voice as though Rowan had just stepped into his office and asked for advice. Adam eyed the gun in Rowan's hand nervously and looked back at Mac who motioned for him to get up._

"_I had to show them what they'd done. You understand don't you?" Mac nodded. "I just want it to be like before." Mac could see the desperation in his eyes. And the hurt. And the rejection._

"_It's going to be okay Rowan. Give me the gun and let Adam go then we can sit down and talk about this. Just you and me." Mac took a step towards them. At that moment, a loud rattle came from the back of the bar distracting Rowan. He jumped backwards and turned to stare at Mac raising the gun as he did so._

"_What was that? Who's there?" Rowan was clearly panicked. Mac quickly tried to reassure him._

"_There's no one there Rowan. It's probably just the staff from the store next door. Rowan, look at me. It's just you and me. Okay? Adam is going to go now and then we can sit and talk." The self-assurance in Mac's voice was enough to get Rowan to turn around. Mac glanced at Adam who had managed to stand but was still pressed against the wall._

"_You and me." Rowan repeated, a strange look coming over his face. "You and me." Suddenly Rowan became angry. He lifted his hands to head as though he was trying to keep it from exploding. "If they hadn't given up their vacation for him you wouldn't have been forced to keep him. It would have been you and me and Anna!" Rowan looked at Mac. "You would have given her to me. She was so beautiful. So beautiful ..."_

_Rowan bent forward, his hands still to his head. He moaned as though in deep pain. Mac gestured to Adam to move towards the door. But as Adam took a step his foot hit part of the broken bottle, the glass scraped loudly against the tiled floor in the almost empty room. Rowan's head snapped up._

"_You and me and Anna! Not him!" He screamed as he raised the gun towards Adam. In a split second Mac knew what was about to happen. No time for planning, no time for evaluation, no time for decisions. "Rowan! No!" Mac hadn't even realized that he had moved. Time suddenly seemed to stop. The look of horror on Adam's face. The desperation in Rowan's voice. Then pain. Then nothing. The next thing Mac was aware of was Jo, next to him. He could smell her perfume, feel her hands on his chest, hear her voice calling his name._

Mac's eyes flew open. To his surprise Danny, Lindsay and Sheldon were no longer there. Jo smiled weakly at him. His surprise must have shown on his face as Jo leant forward to take his hand. Whether she was trying to reassure him or herself wasn't clear but it didn't matter. He was glad she was there.

"It's late." she whispered. "The others have gone home. How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine." Mac smiled. And at that moment he wasn't lying. He really didn't feel anything other than warm and relaxed. Jo raised her eyebrows. "Seriously, I don't feel a thing." Jo's face broke into the first smile that he'd seen from her in some time. He loved that smile.

"Why thank you." Jo blushed. Mac started. Had he said that out loud? "I can see they have you on the good stuff." Jo got up and raised the head of the bed. She passed him some water for which he was grateful. As he sipped it slowly, Jo looked away. "Why Mac? Why did you do it?"

"I thought I could talk to him, that he would listen to me. I thought I knew him but I know now that I was wrong." Mac sighed as he realized that his actions had deeply upset her. "Jo?" She turned back to look at him. It almost broke his heart to see tears running down her face. He placed the cup on the side-table and held out his arm. "Jo, I'm sorry." Jo stepped closer and sat tentatively on the edge of the bed. Mac lifted his hand to her face and wiped away her tears with his thumb. "I'm so sorry." Jo nodded unable to say anything as she clasped his hand in hers. She lifted her eyes to look into his, her heart leaping at the myriad of emotions displayed there for her to see. "Thank you for staying." he whispered.

'.'

_'CSI - NY'_

'.'

_Adam Ross slid down the wall in the corner of his apartment and drew his legs up wrapping his arms around them. Images flashed through his mind, each indistinct like a scene viewed from a railway carriage as the train sped past. He closed his eyes willing them away, Images of Rowan intermingled with memories of his father throwing bottles, shouting at him. The anger on their faces as they yelled made him flinch not understanding what he had done wrong. Adam drew himself tighter. He didn't know how long he just sat there. He jumped as his phone rang. He picked it up. And listened. _

"_That's great Sheldon. Thank you for letting me know. … Me? I'm fine! … Really! I'm fine! … I will." He ended the call feeling guilty for lying. He reached out to place the phone on the coffee table. As he did so he knocked a photograph onto the floor. He picked it up and leaned back against the wall and stared at it. Anna looked stunning as she smiled at the camera, her new husband looking down at her adoringly. A weak smile came to Adam's face as he recalled Anna telling him that James had proposed and thanking him for introducing them. He was surprised when James asked him to be best man but that was nothing compared to his surprise when Anna had said that Mac had agreed to give her away as she had no male relatives and her father had died when she was a child. Their wedding day was one of the happiest days of his life. He'd seen his best friend get married, his speech had gone really well, he had danced with all the bridesmaids – twice! - and most surprising of all he had had a chance to spend time with his boss who suddenly became a whole different person outside the office. Adam looked at the picture of himself, for once smartly dressed in a tuxedo, standing next to his best friend and his new wife, and then he looked at the man standing next to Anna, the man who had saved his life. His body began to shake and his head fell to his chest as he rocked back and forth, the tension of the previous few hours finally released. His tears dripped onto the photograph in his hands as the reality of what had happened sank in._

.

**.**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Well I must confess this didn't turn out as well as I had hoped so here are the last two chapters. Thanks to all who have read and reviewed.  
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**Chapter 11**

Adam swallowed and took a deep breath. He stared at the door in front of him and knocked gently before tentatively pushing it open. He stopped short, surprised to see the hospital bed empty. He whirled around as he heard his name called from behind him. "Hi Jo. Hi Boss! I er ..." Adam suddenly couldn't find the words he had so carefully prepared. He stood back to allow Jo to push Mac back into the room. Jo pushed the wheelchair to the other side of the room next to an armchair. She bent down to whisper something to Mac. He nodded and she turned to leave.

Jo smiled at Adam. "I'm just going to check on Bruce. Can you keep Mac company until I get back?". Adam nodded. "Make sure he doesn't try to escape!" She grinned as she closed the door quietly behind her..

Adam turned to look at Mac who smiled and gestured to the chair. "Come and have a seat Adam. " Adam looked nervously at his boss as he moved to sit down. He was surprised to see Mac looking as well as he did. Admittedly his left shoulder was heavily bandaged and his arm was strapped tight to his chest to prevent him from using those muscles but he looked perfectly relaxed in dark blue sweats and over-sized t-shirt. Adam sank into the visitor's chair grateful that Mac didn't seem at all mad at him. In fact, Adam thought, Mac almost seemed pleased to see him. Adam fiddled with his hands unable to look Mac in the face as he tried to remember the speech he had rehearsed. "How are you coping Adam?" Mac asked quietly. Adam's head snapped up. He hadn't expected Mac to ask him how he was doing.

"What? … How am I ...?" He spluttered. "I'm … er … fine. I guess. I ..." He took a deep breath. "I want to thank you … er … for what you did. You shouldn't have done it. I mean … not for me. You shouldn't have ..." Adam wasn't able to continue as a lump formed in his throat.

"Adam?" Mac smiled as Adam looked up at him. "I once told one of my staff that I will protect three things at any cost: the honour of my country, the safety of my city and the integrity of my lab. I was wrong. There are four things I will protect at any cost. I missed out the most important thing. The people I care for. And I would do it again. Without hesitation!" The intensity of Mac's words and the look in his eyes left Adam in no doubt. Suddenly a feeling of warmth and belonging swept over him and in that moment, just briefly, Adam understood what had pushed Rowan to do what he did. He couldn't imagine how he would feel if he was no longer a part of this team, if he didn't have the support and the friendship they freely offered. Even the mere thought of losing that made him shudder.

"What's going to happen to Rowan?" he asked.

Mac shook his head, his face sad. "In reality he should be charged with attempted murder, kidnapping, criminal damage and a whole host of minors but Jo is going to talk with his doctors and then with the D.A. I don't think they'll bring charges. He needs help not imprisonment."

"I'm sorry Mac."

"What do you have to be sorry for?"

"This is my fault. I could have ..."

"None of this is your fault Adam. How could you have known was he was planning?" Mac looked at Adam and instinctively knew that Adam was feeling guilty about something.

"I saw him Mac." Mac frowned. "The night before he went to the school, before he gave the piece to Lucy. He was in the coffee shop opposite the lab. He seemed so … normal. He said everything was great and how we should get together to catch upon old times. I can't believe he was planning this whole thing. It's crazy..." Adam's voice trailed away. Mac didn't say anything sensing that Adam wasn't finished. Adam's head dropped as a sense of guilt washed over him. "You know I always found it hard to get on with him when we worked together. I would try to avoid him. He was so strange … er ... I mean I know I'm a bit strange, … well kinda' odd really ... no more like zany … no quirky … yeah that's it quirky! I know that ... but he was ..." Adam looked at Mac who was smiling at him again and realized that he was rambling. He took a deep breath. "It's just that after that weird appearance at Anna's wedding, well I didn't know what to say to him … if I had just made some excuse … if only I'd thought quicker … Mac I'm so sorry! If I'd have done something different this would never have happened..."

"Adam!" The tone of Mac's voice forced Adam to look up again. "You couldn't have prevented this. Now what's done is done. Rowan is going to get the help he needs and Bruce looks as though he's going to make it too."

"But what about you?" Mac leaned back in his chair touched by the concern in the young man's eyes.

"I'm fine. Now stop worrying. Tell me what's going on at the lab? Is everyone behaving themselves?"

Adam smiled and finally began to relax as they chatted about developments on their two current cases, one involving blue sugar trace which got them side-tracked onto the subject of cocktails and bars. When Jo got back, she was surprised to see them sitting and laughing over some private joke. She watched them through the window for a time. She thought back to her visit to Rowan Leech. It made her sad to think of him sitting there rocking endlessly back and forth, wrapped in his own misery, cut off from the people he admired and loved. Had life been hard on him or was he responsible for the position he found himself in? Jo looked at Adam. He wasn't unlike Rowan in many ways. Both quirky, shy personalities, both geniuses in their fields. How had they come to take such different paths? Jo prayed that Rowan would find the help he needed and perhaps get back some part of the life he so desperately craved. Jo turned as she sensed Don come up behind her.

"How are you doing Jo?" he asked as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"I'm fine." She answered giving him the first genuine smile he'd seen from her in while. He had a sneaking suspicion that Jo cared rather more for Mac than she let on and that the last two days had been especially hard on her.

Don huffed. "Hey, that's Mac's line." Jo arched an eyebrow as Don looked over her shoulder. Adam laughed at something Mac had said. "Well look at them. No one would believe that it's only been 36 hours since it happened." Don shook his head. "He's not going to press charges is he?"

Jo shook her head. "No."

"Bruce doesn't want to either. Can you believe it? This crazy kid almost killed them both and neither wants to put him behind bars." Don shook his head in dismay.

"Rowan didn't really mean to hurt them Don. And he's not mentally fit to stand trial."

"Yeah. Well I think he still deserves to be in prison."

Jo sighed. "I think he's already in prison, just like Luke Robertson. " Don stared at Jo in incomprehension. "A prison of their own making. They ended up hurting those they cared for the most and neither of them can forgive themselves."

Don shrugged. "Well at least it looks like Adam's off the hook. He was convinced Mac was either going to kill him or fire him." They both noticed Mac wince and shift uncomfortably as Adam chattered on, his arms flying through the air. "Come on let's go rescue Mac from another of Adam's shaggy dog stories."

Jo laughed and agreed but secretly she delighted in seeing Mac and Adam together. She couldn't imagine the New York Crime Lab without them.

**.**


	12. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Adam stood in the AV lab with a look of abject horror on his face. "You can't be serious!" he stammered. Danny and Sheldon stood facing him with their arms folded, their faces serious.

"Adam, he's your boss. He saved your life." Danny reasoned. Adam gulped.

"Come on Adam. It won't be that bad." Sheldon cajoled. Adam looked like he wasn't convinced.

"Don't make me send Lindsay in here." Danny threatened.

"All right. All right. I'll do it." Adam turned to the computers and began to tap away. "I guess if he saved my life that means he won't kill me."

"Atta boy!" Danny and Sheldon grinned. This was gonna be fun.

'.'

_'CSI - NY'_

'.'

Mac Taylor knew that something was up. Having worked with the same group of people for over eight years he knew their moods. He knew when something was wrong. He knew when something good had happened. He knew when they organized 'surprise' parties. He knew when they played paint-ball tag in the garages or when they organized 'secret' poker games during the night shift. He knew when they hid in the store cupboard to avoid Jodie when their expenses were overdue or worse – when a receipt was missing. And he knew right now that they were plotting something.

Mac hung his suit on his locker door, grabbed a towel and headed down to the gym. His shoulder and the left side of his chest still hurt but gentle exercise had been prescribed so he had to follow doctor's orders. After a forty-five minute work-out he headed back up to change. As he stepped out of the elevator, wondering why Sheldon had been so keen to know if he was going to be in the gym that morning and why he thought it imperative that Mac limit his workout to forty-five minutes, Mac was surprised to see Adam fly out of the AV lab as though propelled by some unseen force.

"Er … Mac … er do you think you could go see Jo? In reconstruction …? She has a problem that … er … she needs your help with … er … like now. Please...?" Mac's eyes narrowed as he studied the young lab tech. Adam looked nervous, really nervous, more nervous than usual.

Curious Mac decided to play along. "Okay Adam. No problem." _Reconstruction huh?_

"Okay ..? Really …?" Adam sighed with relief. "That's great .. er ...thanks." And he disappeared back into his den. Mac frowned. _Definitely up to something._ Mac wandered down the hall to reconstruction. It was still pretty early and most of the staff hadn't arrived so the lab was fairly quiet. As he looked through the glass partition, he could see Jo, dressed in white coveralls, spreading out a white sheet on a bed. A dummy stood next to the bed. A board with crime scene photos was set up along one wall and somewhat unusually a radio-alarm clock was placed next to a lamp and two cocktail glasses on a small table to one side. A very familiar looking radio-alarm clock that had once been evidence. Mac arched an eyebrow and attempted to smother a grin. _A nanny-cam? So that's what they want to play?_

"Good morning Jo" he announced loudly as he entered the room. He was rewarded by seeing Jo whirl around startled. She immediately blushed.

"Mac? Hi! How are you? Oh you've been to the gym. How's the shoulder?" The words tumbled out of her mouth. _Nervous Jo? This was an interesting development._

Mac smiled and rubbed at his shoulder as he walked towards her. "It's getting better. Still a little stiff but nothing that a good massage won't fix." His voice dripped with innuendo. Jo swallowed as her eyes widened. Mac lowered his voice. "Adam said you wanted me?"

"What?" she squeaked, her cheeks flushing an even deeper shade of pink. Suddenly Jo felt a little off kilter and began to have second thoughts about the plan.

Mac, however, was beginning to enjoy himself. He had never seen Jo look so … uncomfortable. He stepped closer invading her personal space. "Adam said you wanted me … to help you with something?" He nodded towards the dummy.

"Oh … er yes. Er … the Yvonne Gowers case. Erm … the trace we found on her clothing doesn't correspond to the statement that Yvonne gave. And I thought that perhaps reconstruction might help sort out the inconsistencies..." Jo looked at Mac who was smiling benevolently at her. "I thought that perhaps you could … er … help me ..." Jo broke off as she searched for the right word.

"...get on top of things? Mac offered, his voice low and suggestive. Jo's mouth dropped open, too stunned to respond. Mac suddenly whirled away. "No problem. So you be Yvonne and I'll be the attacker." To hide the smile that was threatening to give him away Mac made a pretence of studying the crime scene photographs pinned to the board, showing the body of a man lying on the ground; a bloody knife; blood stains on a bed and a pair of pale blue trousers with blood stains on one side. He already had an idea of what had actually happened and it was definitely not what Yvonne Gowers had put in her statement. Mac picked up the replica knife. Jo let out the breath she had been holding. The plan looked like it might actually work if only they had the timing right.

'.'

_'CSI - NY'_

'.'

Don Flack stepped onto the 35th floor feeling very pleased with himself. Yvonne Gowers was not who she was pretending to be. For once he'd be one up on Mac and Jo. He walked past the AV lab and then suddenly backtracked, his face taking on a '_what the hell..._' look. He quietly tip-toed up behind Danny, Sheldon and Adam and peered at the screen.

"Are you spying on the boss?" Adam almost shot out of his skin and Danny shot Flack a look that made him cringe.

Sheldon was the only one who didn't jump and didn't take his eyes off the screen. "It's Operation Jodie."

"What the hell is Operation Jodie?"

Danny folded his arms and rocked back on his heels. "Jo's fed up with Jodie cornering Mac at every opportunity. And she's fed up with Mac who, being the total gentlemen, seems incapable of being blunt with her. And we're fed up with the lot of them ..." Danny's grin bordered on leer as he waggled his eyebrow's up and down.

Don was confused. "And we're spying on them in reconstruction because ..."

Sheldon grinned. "...because the playing board is set, the pieces are in position … and if Jo can get Mac to cooperate … Jodie's about to find out what really happens in reconstruction!" He pointed at the second screen showing Jodie coming up in the elevator.

'.'

_'CSI - NY'_

'.'

Jodie Grigson was rather frustrated. The object of her desire had been quite elusive recently. Still not to worry, she had the perfect excuse to visit the 35th floor. It was unlike Mac to allow Purchase Requisitions to come to her unsigned. As she stepped out of the elevator she walked over to Mac's office and stopped, surprised to see Lindsay there.

"Good morning Jodie. How are you today?" Lindsay smiled brightly. "Looking for Mac?" Jodie nodded. "I think you'll find he's helping Jo in reconstruction. You know where that is?"

Jodie frowned at the mention of Jo's name. "Yes thank you." she muttered and wheeled around, her stride quickening as she marched down to reconstruction. Lindsay watched the little red-head totter down the hall, her heels clicking loudly, an irrational thought entering her head unbidden. She wondered if Jodie would get another dog because a chihuahua would probably be suitable. She scooted across the corridor.

"Is it working?" she asked as she joined the men. No one answered as they all appeared hypnotized by the screen. Lindsay muscled her way in among them to see whether Jo had had any success in getting Mac to do what she wanted. Lindsay's eyes widened and her mouth fell open. It looked as though Jo was getting rather more than she bargained for.

'.'

_'CSI - NY'_

'.'

Mac tapped the photograph on the board and picked up the sugar encrusted cocktail glass, causing the radio-alarm clock to make a slight whirring sound as his hand passed in front of it. He smeared some sugar on his lips and turned to face Jo. "So our killer throws the cocktail glass against the wall and then stabs the vic in the stomach." Mac plunged the knife into the dummy pushing it over. "The vic collapses knocking over the lamp and the killer pulls out the knife causing the cast-off." The dummy began to 'bleed' over the plastic covered floor. Red 'blood' spattered across Mac's pale grey sweat-shirt. Mac twisted his head and looked at the photographs, a small smile curving his lips. He fought to keep his face straight. His voice took on a menacing tone.

"The killer then moves towards the bed, causing the blood to drip from the knife and run onto his hand." Mac mimicked the killer's movements, his eyes boring into Jo's. "Yvonne is standing at the foot of the bed. He pushes her down..." Mac pushed Jo backwards onto the bed causing her to cry out in surprise. "... and kneels over her ..." Jo stared up at Mac dumbfounded and the bloody knife he was holding in his hand.

"But he doesn't want to kill her ..." Mac's voice deepened. "His desire for her is too much ..." Jo's eyes opened even wider and her lips parted in surprise. Mac lowered his body towards her. "He drops the knife … his hand caresses her thigh..." The knife dropped onto the bed leaving a bright red mark against the white sheet identical to the photograph that Mac had just been studying. Blood from Mac's hand smeared the side of Jo's white coveralls as he moved his hand up her thigh. " … leaving the blood trace on her trousers. He's unable to take his eyes off her. She is so beautiful. He kisses her throat ..." Jo gasped as his lips touched her throat. "... and her neck." Mac's voice was no more than a whisper.

"Traces of sugar from the rim of the cocktail glass transfer to her skin and onto her collar... " A tiny moan escaped from Jo's lips as Mac continued, his voice hoarse. "She tries to struggle but his weight is too much for her ..." Mac pulled Jo's thigh upward as he lowered himself further. "Blood transfers from his clothes to hers and as he kisses her, her lipstick smears ..."

A scream of outrage from the corridor caused Mac to halt his lips mere millimetres from Jo's. _Damn_. Mac turned his head and flinched. Having noticed the previous evening that a file of Purchase Requisitions had mysteriously disappeared from his desk without his signature he had fully expected Jodie to be staring at them through the glass partitions but he hadn't banked on seeing two uniformed officers, a maintenance worker and three of the DNA testing staff as well. Mac looked back at Jo who appeared to be in a state of shock and grinned. He raised his voice. "Well Jo you are right as usual. She was definitely willing. Bring her back in for questioning." He pushed himself upright and smiled down at her. "I guess this means I owe you dinner. I'll pick you up at seven." Mac got up and walked out but not before addressing his 'audience'. "Gotta love reconstruction!"

Jodie was unable to move. Her body was rigid and her face bright red, the fingers that held the files white. Mac smiled politely. "Those for me? Would you be so kind as to drop them in my office and I'll get Lindsay to bring them up later? I really need a shower right now." Mac waved his 'bloodied' hand at her. He didn't break stride as he continued up the corridor passing by the AV lab. As he drew level with the rest of his team who were staring at him in astonishment his smile widened into a grin; he raised his hand, his thumb and forefinger forming a perfect circle. Adam, Danny and Lindsay all felt the colour rise in their cheeks as they realized Mac knew exactly what they had been up to.

Sheldon laughed. "Told you there's no pulling the wool over his eyes."

Don glanced towards the screen of the nanny-cam and watched Jodie storm off down the corridor and the rest of the lab staff head off to spread the latest gossip. The maintenance worker was still standing stock-still in the middle of the corridor with his tool kit and a replacement smoke detector trying to work out what he had just witnessed, and the two uniformed officers looked as though they desperately wished they worked in the Crime Lab. Jo on the other hand was sitting on the 'bed' with one hand to her throat looking somewhat shell-shocked."Well judging by the look on her face, I guess that Mac got one up on all of us." He grinned. "I don't know what you guys had in mind but I reckon that's checkmate!"

**The End.**

**Thank you for reading!**


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